Deaths Door 1
by Foreverwolf
Summary: Life has changed drastically for Alex. Can he keep up, or will he be lost to events beyond his control? Can K Unit be the ones to help him find his way? Strong Torture warning.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** Not new, not really any editing. I'm just correcting a mistake I made by making this a one shot when it should have been broken into chapters. This was my first story in fanfiction (dot)net, and so I assumed the rules were the same as where I had come from. This was not the case. Since then, I've learned my way around here, and decided it was time to fix this.

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Alex closed his eyes against the sound of the phone ringing. At three am, it could only be one person- or rather, one company- that would dare.

It was MI6.

He refused to answer it, and buried himself into his pillows, wishing he could hide in denial forever. It had been, of course, inevitable. He just hadn't expected it so soon. Time off to heal from his latest mission was apparently too much to ask. He wasn't ready, not yet.

He heard Jack's elevated voice coming from her room. He'd known she would answer it. He knew she would fight for him, for time, but also knew without a doubt that she would lose.

The phone slammed down and he counted the seconds before she could force herself out of bed, listening as she padded gently down the hall. He knew the instant she arrived at his door, but refused to acknowledge her.

Equally, his housekeeper and long time caretaker knew he was awake, knew he had heard.

"Alex, they're sending a car for you now," she stated, fury in her voice. "They said it was an emergency."

Alex snorted. "It's _always_ an emergency, Jack."

"You could always just say no," she pointed out.

"Oh yeah? How'd _you_ make out with that one?"

Jack's silence served his point. Not for the first time in the last year, he desperately wished Ian Rider really had been a banker.

Alex sighed his defeat and threw back the covers. "Alright, I'm getting up."

Without looking, he understood that Jack had gone back to bed without another word. It was their way, now. The closeness he had once shared with her had been shattered. Coming home at all hours of the night in all states of disarray and a walking mass of injuries had done that.

She didn't asked. She couldn't. She never knew what to say. Alex forgave her easily for it, and purely out of empathy. He never knew what to say to her either. The roles of protector and charge had changed drastically between them, and neither truly understood how to approach the other in their new roles.

He dressed as slowly as he could, but still the recent bullet wound tugged and hurt. He was beginning to think the pain would never go away. He looked longingly at the bottle of painkillers sitting on his bedside table, but quickly decided against them. While they did the trick, and at least took the edge off, they also left him tired and a little foggy. He needed a clear head to deal with MI6.

He closed the house and sat on the steps, waiting. He was going to miss more school, he felt certain, and thought of the History report he had left sitting on his desk. He'd made the mistake of thinking he could finish it on the morrow. He should have known better.

The black car pulled up, as sleek as ever. Alex grinned to himself as he entered, wondering why an organization that was swathed in secrecy would use such obvious vehicles.

The driver was, as always, silent. The trip seemed far too short, and before he knew it, Alex was standing in front of what he knew to be MI6 HQ, watching the car drive away. Silly as it was, he was forced to push down a sudden flare of abandonment.

Inside, he was wordlessly escorted to Alan Blunts office, where Mrs. Jones was also waiting. He rarely saw the two apart. If he had thought they were capable of emotion, he would have thought they were more than colleagues. Fortunately for his already tortured psyche, he knew better.

He stood silently, waiting for one of them to start the game. Mr. Blunt seemed preoccupied with a file, while Mrs. Jones was busy with a peppermint. Neither seemed inclined to acknowledge him. This was standard procedure, but tonight he had no patience for it.

"Right then, if you don't need me, I'll be going," Alex announced, turning on his heel to leave.

"Alex, we need to talk to you," Mrs. Jones piped up, moving in step with him to block his exit.

"Obviously. So talk."

"Please don't rush this Alex, we have a serious situation here," Blunt responded flatly. He had never enjoyed the youths attitude, which had only grown more biting over time. Blunt considered perhaps always arranging their meetings so late into the night because it seemed to have taken the edge off of Alex's remarks.

"Let me guess, fate of the world and all that?"

"Two days ago we sent a SAS team to recover a mole, who, by the way, had already managed to gather a significant amount of information from us before he fled. That team has not been heard from or seen since," Mrs. Jones informed Alex.

"So send in another SAS team to get them." He hated playing these games. He wished they would simply tell him what they wanted from him so he could say no, and return to bed.

"It's not quite that simple. The mole fled to Canada, of all places. We don't have any jurisdiction or even sway power there. The Canadian Prime Minister had been kind enough to allow us to retrieve the threat, but strictly limited our activities. We have been _told_," the word sounded sour on Blunt's tongue, "that we have no further access since the team obviously failed. The Canadian Security Intelligence Services has assured us that they would look into it, in due time. However, for the moment, no threat is posed directly to Canada, therefore it does not carry priority status."

"At least _someone_ knows to mind their own business," Alex quipped.

"I'm afraid they've banded us together with the likes of the American CIA, and want nothing to do with our, 'unusually destructive' methods," Jones continued. "In the meantime, we need to secure that mole, as well as retrieve the missing SAS team, before the mole has the opportunity to sell the data."

Alex frowned. While the two MI6 heads were often wordy, it wasn't often they supplied him with irrelevant details. Most frequently, it was go here, do this, and if you can manage it, do come back. Politics between the two intelligence agencies had nothing specifically to do with a simple S&R.

There was something they were avoiding. He was quite used to them lying to him, manipulating him, and working with perhaps a quarter of the information he really needed, but this stall tactic was completely new. And very suspicious.

"Why do you need me?" Alex asked. He was too sore and too tired to fish for scraps of information he would have to sort out later. "And no bullshit."

"Alex!" Mrs. Jones exclaimed harshly around her peppermint. He offered no apology, however, and glared at her for an answer. "The mole seems to have accessed a great deal of information, as we mentioned, but the majority of it was about you. We had already assigned K Unit to do the retrieval before we discovered what the mole was really after."

That was when Alex put it all together, and his face drained of color as his hand went automatically to the tender scar on his chest. "SCORPIA."

"We believe the mole has intentions to sell the information to them, yes, and without knowing so, we then handed SCORPIA a piece of your past," Blunt explained.

Mrs. Jones watched the boy carefully. She hadn't missed his reaction to his discovery. The mere mention of the word seemed to absolutely terrify him, and she didn't have a wonder why.

"The mole, a former agent here, had also gathered information on a very serious intelligence project. This project has been in the making for several years, and we do not think it is merely coincidence that the mole fled just one month before the project would be complete. If SCORPIA were to gain any knowledge of it, they could deal MI6 as well as the British Government a serious blow," Blunt added sternly.

Ah, now this Alex felt comfortable with. He was being manipulated again, made to think it was him they were concerned with, and the Project Files merely an afterthought.

"You want me to go to Canada as bait," Alex guessed.

Mrs. Jones firmly shook her head. "No Alex, we need you to retrieve, or destroy, the data that was stolen. The Project file has not been accessed yet, as we would be immediately notified by code. Unfortunately, it will only be a matter of time before they manage to bypass or corrupt the security on the file. By same way, we also know that they have already accessed your file, which places you in grave danger."

"Cut the crap. You don't give a fig about me or my file," Alex replied bitterly. "You need that Project file back, and don't even try to tell me that's not your priority."

"That's not true. You seem to have a knack for getting out of impossible situations, Alex, and this situation is quite impossible. We realize, of course, that you're still recovering, and we wouldn't ask if it wasn't terribly important to national security, as well as for your own safety," Jones bled out, as though performing lines from a script. She even managed to look quite concerned about his so called safety.

Alex knew what was coming next. Every person he had ever spoken to was probably in that file, and that was what they were going to use on him. Every name in that file was now at risk from being targeted by SCORPIA. Especially Jack. He swore under his breath.

He had no choice, he realized. As usual, he was trapped. If he ignored it, then a great many people he cared about would die long before he did. Eventually, SCORPIA was going to force his hand and make him come after them. They never forget, never forgive, and he had killed enough of their 'agents' to seriously piss them off.

Julia Rothman had told him, not long ago, that SCORPIA was a very, very large family, and that they looked after their own. Julia, Nile, Yassen. All three were large players, and he had taken out all of them, as well as having cost them a client who also did not forgive, or forget, failure easily.

The Sniper that had so nearly killed him just weeks ago would not be their last attempt. Could he do it? Would it be better for him to go to them, to play the game by _his_ rules? He knew K Unit would have been kept alive, too, if the mole had managed to sell the files before they arrived. SCORPIA did not dispose of potential holds easily.

Despite his distrust for K Unit, they had come through for him at Point Blanc. Having been around the block a few times since, he knew that the razzing he had received at the SAS training camp had been almost friendly in comparison.

Had it been anyone other than SCORPIA, he might have considered refusing to go. But it wasn't, and each person mentioned in that file, however vaguely, was one life snuffed out because of him. He didn't think he could live with that.

His shoulders slumped in defeat. "When do I leave?" he asked.

Blunt nodded promptly, as though he had been expecting the answer. Of course he had. He'd known all along that Alex had been expertly backed into a corner. "This afternoon at 1500. You'll be flown to the Vancouver Airport in British Columbia. From there, we've arranged transportation to Ringrose Peak, in the Rockies, where we believe SCORPIA have a chapter house. We don't have an exact location, but the Yoho National Park suddenly closed up for no reason approximately three months ago," Mrs. Jones explained patiently.

Alex nodded numbly. "Lake O'Hara." He wracked his brain for his geography lessons. "But the Yoho National Park is only accessible by bus, and if they've closed it up, then how am I supposed to get in by plane?"

"I assure you, Alex, that after crashing into the roof of the Science Museum, and then BASE jumping from a cliff, that part of the journey will be a walk in the park," Blunt expressed.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

It was nearly dawn by the time Alex was letting himself back into his house in Chelsea. Jack was, of course, waiting for him at the kitchen table. He moved around her to get at the coffee pot, but her words turned out to be sharper than her glare anyway.

"You're doing it again, aren't you?" she demanded.

"I don't have a choice."

"You always have a choice, Alex! _Always_!"

Alex nodded calmly, and turned cold, hard, brown eyes on her. "You're right, Jack. I could sit back, do nothing, and watch you die. Then I can watch Tom Harris and his brother, Jerry, die. Then I can make a list of everyone I've talked to in the last year, and sit back to watch _them_ die too."

Jack shook her head, trying desperately to squeeze back the tears that were trying to fall. It wasn't fair. What had happened to the boy she had known? Had helped raise? To her friend? The youth standing across from her was someone she didn't know anymore.

Worse, she knew it was partly her fault. Alex had gotten wrapped up in all of this to begin with by trying to protect her. She knew what MI6 had originally blackmailed him with the moment Mrs. Jones passed her the temporarily renewed visa.

She knew in her heart that these missions were destroying her charge, piece by piece. There was a wisdom in those eyes that his physical youth couldn't change, a wisdom brought on by cold experience, and hard lessons learned. Those eyes had seen too much evil in this world, and his heart was too big to let it pass over. She felt Ian Rider would have been proud of the young man his nephew had become. And, perhaps too, Ian would have understood the cost of it.

But she was helpless. She tried, she really did, but there was nothing more she could do but lay awake at night listening as Alex relived each of those horrifying moments in his nightmares. She could care for him as best as he would let her when he came home injured, sometimes try to force him to eat and sleep, and she could even listen on the rare times he explained what his mission had been about. But she could never truly understand him. Which is why she had lost him.

Alex watched Jack's thoughts flicker across her expressive face, and nodded to himself, making a decision. He sat across from her, and gently reached for her hand.

"Jack, go see your parents. Go visit with them while I'm gone. I'll ring you as soon as I get back, I promise."

She shook her head. "What about your injury, Alex? I have no problem believing MI6 has forgotten about it, but I know you haven't. Do you really think you're up for this?"

Alex wondered what to tell her. He'd had a long time to think about his plan of attack while Mrs. Jones and Mr. Blunt briefed him. They had taken immaculate care on getting him as close to where they believed the SCORPIA compound was as they could. But after three hours of instructions, he'd been dismissed. Despite what Jones and Blunt thought, it hadn't escaped his notice that there had been no mention of getting back.

They didn't expect K Unit to still be alive, and they certainly didn't expect him to survive this latest round with SCORPIA. He knew finding the compound wouldn't be that difficult. Getting IN to the compound alive was going to be a different story.

His wound had twinged in that meeting, and had reminded him of his future. This wasn't the first time MI6 had sent him out on what very well could have been a suicide mission. And, if he succeeded, it probably wouldn't be the last. This was his life now. The people he cared about would always be in danger from one thing or another. He would always be at MI6's not so tender mercies. There was no escaping it.

Except there was, and instantly he had known how to get into the SCORPIA compound.

He could feel Jack waiting for his answer, and decided to tell her the basic truth.

He smiled gently. "I'm more ready for it then anyone might think."

Jack looked up sharply, something in his voice alarming her. But his face was unreadable, showing only his concern for her.

"Please, Jack. Go home. I would be able to concentrate better on the mission if I didn't have to worry about you being here alone."

He didn't need a moment to wonder why Jack's face suddenly went cold as he realized what he'd done.

"You're almost as good as they are, Alex. So this is the life you want? Manipulating people? Preying on their weaknesses? Maybe I was wrong. Maybe this IS what you're meant to do," she threw at him, immediately removing her hand from his and disappearing upstairs.

Alex watched her go, and waited to feel shame, regret, something, _anything_, but nothing came. All he could feel was the relief that came with knowing she would leave here, that she would be safe. He had got what he wanted, and in the end, the means really didn't matter so much as the result.

He began to suspect she had been right.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: **I'm going to ask for forgiveness. This was never written to be a multi chapter and so I didn't have the chapter breaks that I usually take great care in setting up. I'm just copying and pasting it into chaps, so bear with me.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Alex had an appointment with Smithers before he left, and then would be taken immediately to the airport. He couldn't help but smile back as the large man greeted him warmly from his desk.

"Alex, old chap. Very nice to see you again, though I must say, I rather hadn't expected it to be this soon."

Alex shrugged carefully. "National Emergency, yadda yadda."

Smithers laughed. "Too true, too true. Come now, I have some very nice gadgets for you this time. Your short time off has given me an excellent chance to play with some ideas. It's marvelous working with you, dear boy, simply marvellous."

Alex smiled fondly as Smithers spoke into a pencil on his desk requesting his newer projects be brought up.

"Now, I'm afraid they've been rather secretive about this mission of yours. That never bodes well, no sir. Ah well, let's have a look, shall we?" Smithers asked as his secretary laid out the tray of new toys.

"Smithers, they're sending me up against SCORPIA again. I appreciate all the work you've done, but I'll never be able to smuggle anything in. Not after last time."

Smithers' normally jolly face dropped into a severe frown immediately. "How do they intend you communicate with us?" he asked.

Alex offered him the same kind smile he had offered Jack not hours before. "I don't expect they do."

He was trying to be gentle. Smithers had been his only true friend and supporter at MI6, and he was didn't like disappointing him. But it was true, nonetheless, and he didn't think that trying to stuff probably thousands of dollars of gadgets into a pack he had every intention of getting rid of was very appreciative.

He had failed. Smithers almost crumbled right in front of him, reading the subtly of what Alex had said perfectly. Sad eyes looked at him, and seemed to sadden more when they encountered calm acceptance.

"I must say this is rather disappointing. But here, I do have one item for you." He picked up what look like a thumb nail. "This will pass as a natural nail, even fitted over your own real one. Press here, at the bottom, and you'll be able to inject one fairly large person. It's a chemical that will add a certain signature to their brain. For example, if you inject me with it, and then manage to convince me I'm a chicken, then I will firmly believe I am a chicken."

"Is there an antidote?" Alex asked curiously.

Smithers shook his head. "I'm afraid not, so be very careful not to inject yourself with it, eh old chap? The effects can be overcome, in time, but there are no guarantees. The amount of time it needs to take effect depends largely on the size of the person. For myself, it could take up to half an hour. For a woman, or someone your size, it would take merely minutes."

Alex nodded, and allowed Smithers to affix the fake nail.

"Now then, there's just one more item of business to attend to," Smithers forced out with a smile. He took a hypodermic from his desk drawer. "This is standard protocol for most agents, and to be frankly honest, I have no idea why we haven't done this before now."

Alex hesitated. He trusted this man more than almost any other adult in his life, but he really had a hard time trusting injections after the Invisible Sword incident. Smithers must have understood, because he smiled.

"Do relax, dear boy. It's merely the worlds smallest tracking device. Unfortunately, its signal can be detected eventually. However, this device will not activate unless your heart stops. It's so we can bring you home."

Alex understood immediately. If there was a body to bring home, then obviously MI6 did their best to do so. He nodded and held out his arm.

That done, Alex prepared to leave. He turned to the normally happy now somewhat deflated agent. "Thank you, Smithers, for all you've done. I very much hope to work with you again."

It was a nicety, a socially acceptable way to deny what they both already knew. Smithers forced a smile to his somber face. "My dear boy, from your lips to gods ears. Be safe."

With that, Alex left.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Wolf paced around the cell for perhaps the thousandth time since their capture. The other three members of his team, Fox, Snake and Eagle, watched him carefully. This was their fourth day since they'd been caught, and Wolf was very much starting to act like his name.

"Sit down, will ya? You're driving me batty," Fox complained.

Wolf didn't even spare him a glance as he continued. Why hadn't they been retrieved yet? What was MI6 doing? And perhaps the more haunting question had to be, why had they not been harmed?

He knew who had captured them. He'd never personally tangled with SCORPIA, but he was very well aware of their reputation. Most SAS learned it very early on, which was immediately followed by two months intense anti torture training. He thought that sort of had a tendency to solidify the situation, just in case you missed the memo.

But they hadn't been touched. They'd been given some food, and plenty of water. Their cell was dirty, but not filthy. There was a chemical toilet in the corner, a sink with working taps, and four cots, one on each wall of the cell. They'd even been provided with thin blankets, which didn't do much against the constant chill of the basement, but were a surprise nonetheless.

The more time he spent caged up here, the less sense any of this made.

"Wolfie, you're scaring the troupes," came a calm voice from behind him, the light Scottish accent not hiding it's owners irritation.

Wolf sighed. Snake was right, of course. His pacing probably wasn't helping morale. But, at this point, he really wasn't sure what would.

"Ya know, I don't ever remember you being claustrophobic Wolf Man," Eagle commented.

Wolf growled. "I'm not. I just don't like it when things don't add up."

"You are NOT going to tell me you're complaining about not being tortured?" Fox demanded in astonishment.

"Well, we could fix that, if you really do want to," a voice came from down the hallway. The voice was most definitely heavily laced with an English accent. The body that went with it was a man in his early forties, hair that had once been brown but was now peppered with grey, and an athletic form. The smooth face was lean, but also had a large scar across the cheek.

"No thanks," Eagle piped up. This was the first person who had actually spoken to them since their capture.

The man bowed his head slightly to acknowledge Eagle's rejection of his offer. "I thought so. Well, what do we have here? British Special Air Service. I do feel honored. My name is Troy Dellaware, and I'll be your host for as long as you live."

Fox snorted. "Great, we get stuck with a comedian."

Snake gave Fox a stern look. "Let's not make the nice Tupperware man mad and want to torture us, buddy."

Eagle chuckled. Despite all that, Troy merely smiled at them. "Poke your fun while you can, gentlemen. I have a special treat planned for you."

"Really? Okay, who didn't tell me it was his birthday? I hate surprises you know. If it's mine, you have to tell me," Eagle directed at his other teammates.

Troy twisted his neck to the side to crack it, his only sign of irritation. "I've come to extend an invitation," he motioned several guards forward. "We've received word that we have a rather special guest coming."

The guards unlocked their cell, but were obviously ready for anything they might try. Each man had two guards, eight in total, and soon had guns pressed to their sides as they walked. Knowing when the fight was over before it started, K Unit obediently followed where they were led- or shoved. Apparently the guards weren't quite as eager to show their hospitality as Troy seemed to be.

They were ushered through too many hallways to keep track of, and took too many turns to count before they found themselves in a large, polished board room. Each man was firmly and securely tied to a stainless steel chair, and then dragged over to the side of the wall to sit like wallflowers, still surrounded by guards.

Just as everyone was getting settled, Troy's cell phone rang, and he immediately picked it up. "He's here? Take as many as you need to capture- he _what_? Bring him to the Board Room, with no less than a dozen guards on him. Do _not_ underestimate him. I assure you that you have no idea what he's capable of. And search him. Every inch! No less then a dozen, in escort formation!" He flipped the phone shut. He seemed distracted even as he settled himself at the head of the table.

K Unit had watched with interest. Whoever it was had obviously thrown Troy off track, and the man was clearly nervous. Twelve guards for one man? Who the hell was showing up? And why had Troy ordered his capture?

Exchanged glances told each of the men that they were all on the same page, and each had to admit that they were hopelessly curious.

Alex walked carefully in the middle of his entourage. For a moment, he had to admit to feeling some pride at having twelve guards just for him. Four at his back, four at the front, and two to each side.

He allowed himself the moment to feel smug, before he sobered. He was sore from the impact of his parachute jump into the forest, and then from the hike to find the place. It hadn't been hard. MI6 had fairly accurate maps of the area, and it seemed logical to move toward the signs that read : keep out. He never had been very good at taking instruction.

Obviously SCORPIA had done their homework. The guards had searched him embarrassingly thoroughly. Unfortunately, they had also found his one and only defence, the fake nail. He had been slightly disappointed when the guard hadn't even asked him what it was, and had merely tossed it out.

He mentally ran over his plan again. It seemed to be working extremely well so far, so he saw no real reason to change it. He just wanted to get it over with, and hoped his gamble would pay off.

He was led into a very modern boardroom. He had even been expecting to see the man at the head of the table. What he had not, however, anticipated was K Unit being tied to chairs on the other side of the room.

Wolf couldn't stop from opening his mouth in shock when he saw who had been escorted in.

"Cub!" Eagle greeted cheerfully.

Wolf saw the boy's eyes flicker to them for a second before returning to Troy. Whatever he'd been expecting, it hadn't been this! Why had MI6 sent in only one man? And a teenager no less! This couldn't possibly be the rescue! And why the hell had Troy made such a fuss about it? Twelve guards for a kid?

"Ah, Alex Rider. Welcome. It's good to finally meet you in person," Troy exclaimed happily. "Though, I must say, your entry was somewhat disappointing. I had expected so much more of a challenge from you."

Alex shrugged. "Sorry. Better luck next time."

"Would you care to tell me why you simply walked into our compound and sat until someone found you?" Troy persisted. He hadn't expected the move and it irked him.

Wolf raised an eyebrow. Obviously Cub had wanted to be caught, but why?

"Worked, didn't it?"

"No weapons, one tiny little gadget that was easily found, no back up. You can't honestly expect me to believe MI6 sent you here in hopes of us taking you back? Is that it, Rider, did you come here hoping to be one of us again?"

K Unit exchanged surprised glances. What on Earth was going on? Who _was_ this kid? Wolf returned to watching the boy, and was suddenly wary of the defeated sigh that was heaved by the youth. He felt a tensing of his muscles that always signalled bad news.

"No, Dellaware, I came expecting to die."


	3. Chapter 3

Stunned silence was all that followed the sincere, resigned statement.

Alex was well aware of the effect his words had had. He'd once again managed to completely throw Troy Dellaware, and, it seemed, K Unit.

Troy recovered first, regaining his cool composure and lifting an eyebrow. "I see."

Alex smirked to himself. Really, was that the best the SCORPIA assignment leader could do?

"I've been sent with information. Obviously, you've killed Dr. Kiln, the MI6 mole that sold you the information? Sadly, however, you killed him before you were able to get a password from him in order to get into the Project Files security."

Troy shifted, very unhappy with the turn of events. The kid was right, of course. Troy had killed him rather than pay him, and it had ended up costing him. His position was tenuous enough without another failure. And he didn't like the feeling that this brat had somehow gained the upper hand.

Alex took his silence as confirmation. "Here is the deal I've been authorized to make. Release K Unit, and I will give you the password."

Now Troy laughed. "Nice try, Alex. I'll admit, you almost had me. MI6 would not give up that password for a SAS unit."

"Not especially, no. However, they are giving it up to avoid diplomatic issues with Canada. Moreover, I also come with the deal," Alex announced.

THAT got Troy's interest. If he could finally kill Alex Rider, _and_ open the file, he would be able to regain his status in SCORPIA. "You will try to escape."

Alex shook his head. "You release K Unit, burn all other information the Mole sold you from MI6, with the exception of course, of the Project, which is what they know you really wanted and wouldn't trade for anything. I stay, give you the password. Once you've confirmed it works, you can dispose of me however you like."

"You're lying," one of the guards growled. The backhand had enough force behind it to split Alex's lip and send him to his knees. He made no move to retaliate.

Alex spit out blood. It took everything he had to simply stand up again and not fight back. "I'm not. That's the deal being offered. I do have one personal addition to that deal, however. When I'm dead, I want the revenge oath against me removed. No one in that file you've got there ever hears from you, or about me again."

"Cub! What the hell are you doing?" Snake shouted furiously. He'd wanted to believe that Cub had been trying to fake out Dellaware, but he could see now that the boy had been completely serious. He could read it in the youths body language.

Alex ignored them. Troy seemed to be seriously thinking over his offer. It was a gamble, and a risky one. He had no idea how Troy would react to it.

Unfortunately, he'd made a miscalculation. While most everyone he had previously met from SCORPIA had been adamant professionals, calm, cool, and over rational, Troy Dellaware seemed to possess none of these traits. There was a gleam in his eyes that said he was trying to sort through how to get it all. There was nothing rational about this man. He was just like every other insane moron Alex had met trying to gain power. He vaguely wondered how the man had managed to stay alive inside SCORPIA. Men like this weren't usually their style.

Alex could see as his carefully laid plans fell apart. Troy Dellaware wanted it all. He wanted the MI6 Project File, wanted Alex Rider dead, and wanted K Unit dead. Alex wasn't overly concerned, however.

Sadly, people who tried to hold everything in their hands usually ended up losing almost all of it. He had been mentally preparing for this eventuality too, though he'd hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Troy grinned and spread his hands wide. "What a generous offer you have made, Alex Rider, and I must say, an extremely tempting one. But I think you'll find that we have more persuasive, and certainly more entertaining ways, to get that password."

Alex frowned, and made one last attempt. He'd really hoped to have K Unit out of there. "I'm sure you do. Allow me to assure you that you'll get much better results if you take the deal."

"I'm sure I would. Take him downstairs and hook him up," Troy ordered the guards. His smug look turned ugly when he took in Alex's lack of reaction.

Alex merely shrugged. "Suit yourself, but don't say I didn't warn you."

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

K Unit was quiet as they were returned to their cell. Obviously, MI6's plan had completely backfired. But it was Cub that disturbed them the most. They had all seen, perfectly clearly, that the boy had been ready to die where he stood.

Equally appalling had been the obvious knowledge that the plan would burn, and was ready and willing to accept the consequences. They knew he wasn't stupid, so Cub had to have known Troy was referring to torture when he implied his more creative ways.

Their silence lasted until they were back in their cell and the guards had left.

"What the fuck is going on over there?" Fox demanded angrily.

At the same time, Snake uncharacteristically snapped out, "What the hell was MI6 thinking?"

Eagle had turned somber, while, for the first time in days, Wolf sat quietly on the cot.

"And why did they send Cub? Why not a more experienced agent? They had to know how this was going to go down!" Fox took up again.

"I don't think they did," Wolf offered quietly. There had been something bugging him about the whole thing. The kid had seemed off from the start. Having worked for SAS for some time, and occasionally with MI6, he knew how they operated. He also knew that offering up Cub as an official sacrificial lamb was a bit beyond even them.

"What?"

"I think Cub dreamed that little scene up himself. I think he got told to come here, and somehow destroy the data, and no, don't kid yourselves, MI6 didn't send him specifically to rescue us, and hopefully get us out in the bargain," Wolf answered.

"Wolf, there's no way Cub would have- " Eagle started, but Wolf cut him off.

"Wouldn't he? Did you see the look in his eyes? Cub- Alex, was perfectly prepared to stand there and die. I don't know what happened, or what's really going on, but I'd bet dollars to donuts that was Cub's show. And that he's not finished yet."

They were quiet after that. It was a chilling concept.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Alex once again carefully watched, counted and measured the hallways and turns as he was taken 'downstairs'. The heavy cast iron manacles were rubbing his wrists raw and bloody, and the weight of it pulled heavily on his chest, but apparently Troy Dellaware was done taking chances. Nor had the guards been particularly gentle in putting them on. Every step reminded him of the mild beating he had received.

As far as he was concerned, his mission was to get K Unit out. One attempt had failed, so now he had to move onto the next. He _had_ been supplied with a password, but not to open any file. It would destroy every single shred of data from every computer linked to the one he entered it into. But now he had to buy time. He had to leave it to the right moment, or else they would merely be caught out when the system crashed.

He owed it to K Unit to get them out of here.

He wasn't surprised when he was led to where K Unit were being held. He was, however, somewhat surprised he was stopped outside their cell, and his arms were raised above his head. He cursed a thousand times in his head as his chest flared painfully.

The chain between his manacles were being sawed in half, then each loose chain was looped onto a dangling hook. He hissed again as the guards yanked his arms high and about an arms length apart. He felt the welding iron as the hooks were welded together to form a single link around his chains.

He wasn't going anywhere, but he was at least thankful that his heels could touch the ground.

During all this, K Unit had watched in horror from their own locked cell. There was nothing they could do to help, and for the first time in a long time for them, all four men felt utterly helpless.

The guards left, after giving each of Alex's arms a solid tug to see if their welding would hold. It did, though Alex himself had nearly passed out.

Alex kept his eyes closed for a few minutes, mentally preparing himself to deal with K Unit. Somehow, locked up in a cage, they didn't look quite so intimidating any more.

"Hey guys." Alex greeted.

"How's it hanging there Cub?" Eagle couldn't resist. He was cuffed for his lack of restraint, but noticed that Snake's lips twitched.

"Um, pretty loose, actually," Alex replied with a grin. "How's the zoo?"

Eagle and Fox both snickered, pleased that Cub seemed to be feeling okay enough to participate in their banter.

Wolf, however, was not so pleased. "Do you want to tell me what's going on?" he demanded harshly.

Alex sighed. "Well, it's really quite simple. I'm here to rescue you!"

"Yeah, way to go on that, by the way," Fox pointed out.

"We're not dead yet, so there's still hope. How do you know I don't have an absolutely brilliant plan B?" Alex asked innocently.

"Do you?" Snake queried, only semi seriously. He had to admit, the kid could take the pressure. It took a certain type be able to have a sense of humor in a time like this. And Cub seemed to fit right into the team's natural flow of humor. It was hard to remember that Cub had been forced on them as a member.

"Of course!"

"Is that before or after they torture you? Or one of us?" Wolf sneered. He could see his other teammates quickly warming up to Cub, but wasn't prepared to do so himself.

"Depends. Who goes first?" Alex deadpanned.

That was it. Eagle, Fox and Snake almost hit the floor laughing. Outside of the situation they were currently in, it really wouldn't have been that funny. But, despite their rather bleak circumstances, Cub had managed to get one over on Wolf, while hanging from chains and hooks on the ceiling.

Wolf spared a moment to throw a disgusted glare at his chuckling teammates. "Traitors."

They settled immediately when they heard the door open. Troy stalked in, looking rather pleased with himself, followed by a guard who seemed to be practically dancing with anticipation.

"Alex, I have some exciting news for you. I've just checked with my informant in MI6, and he informs me that there was indeed a password created. Unfortunately, there seems to be only two people that have it. You, and Mr. Blunt. The other bit of bad news is that he doesn't seem to know what it does."

Alex quirked an eyebrow. "It's a password, what does he think it's supposed to do?"

Wolf hissed in irritation. Now was not the time to be baiting the bad guy. Didn't this kid know anything?

Troy stopped smiling. "I can see this is going to be difficult. How about a warm up session, Ben?"

The guard, Ben, nodded enthusiastically as he withdraw and unravelled the whip from his belt.

Troy positioned himself in front of Alex so he could see his face. "Ben likes to use the cat-o-nine-tails for his warm ups. Hurts bad, bruises deep, but doesn't actually slice the flesh like his bull does."

Alex sneered. "If you're going to torture me, please use the whip, and not your mouth."

Wolf saw it coming the moment the words left Cubs mouth. The backhand across his cheek landed at exactly the same time as the knotted leather hit his back. Both would leave spectacular bruises. And Ben didn't seem to lack either force in his arm, or practice with the whip.

K Unit winced together as Cub jerked forward, managing more to rattle his chains than actually move. It was an entirely fruitless move, but a totally instinctual one.

The 'warm up' continued for twenty lashes. Still, Cub had managed to keep eye contact with Troy almost the entire time, and hadn't made a sound beyond a gasp. Wolf had to give him grudging credit for that.

Troy, however, was not as impressed with Alex's display of defiance. "I'm going to ask again, Alex, what does the password do?"

"It opens stuff," Alex replied, wheezing a little. If he had to be totally honest with himself, if asked, he couldn't say which hurt more. His back, or his chest. The bullet wound throbbed painfully in time with his heart, while his back seemed to surge on the offbeat.

He knew it would get worse. It had to. While his T-shirt hadn't protected him very much, he knew it had absorbed some of the knots. Alex figured the problem with the Cat was that you couldn't brace any part of your back. Once it was in the air, the tails spread unevenly and unpredictably. It was impossible to anticipate the impact.

"That's not very helpful, and I'm afraid I am under a bit of a deadline."

"That's not really my problem, is it?" Alex replied sarcastically. He could see K Unit shaking their heads at him, but he was confident he knew what he was doing. The timing had to be perfect.

"I have a business call to make," Troy answered icily. "Ben, I want the answer in two hours. And get rid of his shirt. We wouldn't want to get blood on it."


	4. Chapter 4

By the time he was out the door, Ben was already using a large knife to slice off the teen's shirt, purposely cutting flesh whenever he could.

Unfortunately, it also exposed his biggest weakness. There, dangerously close to his heart, was a fresh puckered scar, still somewhat red. Ben grinned at the sight of it, even as K Unit gasped.

"That looks pretty recent. I'll bet it still hurts- a lot," Ben growled, pushing his palm onto it, hard.

Alex couldn't help it, he screamed. Ben smirked, and pushed a little harder. Another agonized cry filled the basement as Alex felt a rib break under the pressure.

"Stop it!" Snake shouted. "If you damage his heart he'll be dead before he can give you any answers!"

Ben hesitated, then removed his hand. Alex sagged in his chains, desperately trying to catch his breath. "Password kid," Ben growled.

Alex couldn't muster the breath to speak, so he merely shook his head. He was still a little dazed when he felt Ben move away from him. And then he heard it before he ever felt it, the unmistakable sound of a whip whistling through the air.

He didn't bother to try and stop the cry that burst from his lips this time. The edge of the whip was sharp, and Alex had felt it slice through his skin like butter. The cat already having sensitized his back, the warm blood that came from the cut felt like fire.

Ben seemed to prefer to ask questions in between batches of fives. By the time he had completed 25 strokes, Alex was hoarse and barely able to stay conscious. The waist of his jeans were now soaked in blood.

"Password!" Ben shouted, drawing back for another set.

"It'll open the file!" Alex suddenly cried out, tears of pain staining his cheeks. "I swear! MI6 didn't want to take the chance that Dellaware would welsh on the deal. It's the real thing."

He was drawing ragged breaths, trying desperately to fill his aching lungs. Ben moved in front of him, grabbing his chin and forcing Alex to look at him.

"It's the real thing, I swear," Alex repeated quickly.

Ben hesitated, but then let go. "What is the password?"

"Let K Unit go, first, then I'll tell you," Alex insisted stubbornly.

Ben shrugged, and moved away. For a moment, Alex thought he would get a reprieve when he saw Ben rolling up the Bull. But then he frowned at the device Ben had pulled from somewhere. It looked like a belt with some kind of pack on it. Alex had never seen or heard of anything like it, and was, morbidly, mildly curious as to what it was.

From the collective "Shit" that had been breathed from the cell, it obviously wasn't going to tickle.

Ben attached it around Alex's waist, making sure it fit tightly. The buckle pressed against his overly sensitive back, while the belt itself pressed into the deep cuts that the whip had left. He hissed painfully, but continued to curiously watch the process. For the first time, Alex noticed a remote control in Ben's other hand. The guard saw Alex looking and smiled. "Curious, are you? How about a demonstration?"

"Actually, I do have a question," Alex spoke up. His voice was harsh and raspy, but at least he could almost breathe properly. "Do all you torture guys get the same handbook every month? Latest Dumbest Clichés-"

His smart ass remark changed in a scream as 300 volts of electricity were put through his body. Then, just as suddenly as it had come, it was gone, leaving fine fibres jolting through his trembling muscles.

"What's the password?"

"Let K Unit go-"

Another jolt when through him, but this time Alex was too hoarse to do more than groan, his breathing stuttering.

Wolf glanced at a very pale Snake, their resident Field Medic. "How much more of that can he take?" he asked quietly.

Snake shook his head. "If that scar is what, and as recent, as I think it is, not very much. I wasn't joking. His heart will give out."

They watched as Cub jerked with another dosage of electricity, screaming.

Eagle, having overheard the quiet conversation, gripped the bars tightly. "Cub, just tell him! Christ, it's not worth dying over!" he shouted.

Ben smirked. "Listen to your buddies, the ones you're trying so hard to protect. Just tell me."

Alex weakly shook his head, still gasping for breath as though he'd been underwater for too long. He tried to brace himself for another jolt, but the tensing of his already abused muscles made him cry out, and thankfully, pass out.

Wolf shook his head. The guard had left over an hour ago, and Cub was still out cold, his arms holding all of his weight off the floor. Wolf knew from personal experience how much his shoulders and wrists were going to hurt when he tried to move them.

Fox and Eagle were both very quietly sitting in on their individual cots. The last two hours had been horrifying to watch, and hear.

Snake walked over to where Wolf was leaning against the bars of their cell. "You have to respect him, that's for sure," he muttered.

Wolf grunted. "I'm just wondering if he actually has a plan, or if he's just suicidal. After his performance earlier today, I can't say as I'm too sure which it is."

Snake frowned. Something Wolf had said had triggered a mild memory, but he was having a hard time holding on to it. Has a plan? Suicidal? His eyes went round as he gasped.

"Shit!"

"What?" Wolf demanded, immediately looking for danger from habit.

"Both! He's both!"

"What are you going on about man?" Fox demanded harshly.

Snake waved them all over so he could whisper to them, sure the place was bugged. "MI6 has a bit of a back up plan for all their agents. I just remembered it, from years ago. They inject a very small tracking device into the bloodstream."

"So MI6 is on their way right now?" Eagle asked hopefully, with a quick glance at the kid.

Snake screwed up his face. "I'm trying to remember. I think, oh no, I think-"

"My… heart… has… to stop," Alex gasped out as he tried to bring himself to his feet, groaning as he did so. The whispered buzz of conversation had cut through the haze and brought him to consciousness.

"Take it easy, Cub," Snake advised, wishing he could look the boy over. "Nice and slow or you'll go into shock."

They waited patiently while Alex got his feet under him, hissing as some of the weight was taken off his shoulders.

"What were you saying?" Fox asked. But it Snake who answered.

"His heart has to stop in order to activate the tracking device. I remember now. It's got something to do with electrical pulses. I wonder if the shock therapy fried it?"

Wolf frowned. "_That's_ your back up plan? _Die_?

"Didn't seem… like such a bad idea… at the time," Alex answered weakly. "Just forgot… how hard it is to... kill me."

"What bloody good is a tracking device if you have to be dead to use it?" Eagle demanded angrily. Then his face cleared. "Oh. To recover the body."

"I don't think it's a valid plan anymore, Cub, if it ever was. Like Snake said, that EST probably fried it," Wolf pointed out.

"Neither is… yours," Alex ground between clenched teeth. Bloody hell, he felt worse now then he had when he was being tortured!

"What's yours?" Fox inquired, turning to their leader.

"He wants to take… ah shit… take my place. Noble idea… but you… don't have the info… I do."

Wolf never got a chance to answer as Troy and his shadow reappeared. This time, the guard was carrying a tray of hypodermics.

"Well, I'm glad to see we've made some progress, but this is taking too long. As enjoyable as it as been, we have to move this along." Troy grabbed one of the needles. "Sodium thiopental. Do you know what that is Alex?"

"Truth serum."

"Very good," Troy praised, even as he injected the boy with it. "There. In a little while, we'll get every answer we want from you."

Both men left promptly when Alex slumped, unconscious.

"We have to get out of here. Cub doesn't have the training we do, and even we're vulnerable to that stuff," Fox muttered.

Wolf only nodded. He agreed, but they weren't exactly in a position to plan the great escape. Snake elbowed him as Cub started coming around again.

"How long do I have before this takes effect?" Alex asked as he closed his eyes, trying to gather every once of strength he had left for what he was about to do. It was stupid, and he knew he'd end up worse for it. But it was the only way he could think of to get out of the chains. He'd seen it done once, in a Circus.

"You're pretty small, Cub. It depends on how much he gave you, but I would say, not long," Snake answered.

All four men were starting to notice Cubs level of concentration, and deep breaths. Frankly, it made them a little nervous. Too many times today Cub had proven incredibly unpredictable, and more worrying, intensely self destructive.

"Cub, what are you planning?" Wolf asked carefully.

"Nothing. Just, leave me be for a minute," Alex answered shortly.

Apparently, the dose had been large because Troy and Ben were already back. They noted the expression on the boys face and smiled.

"Having trouble concentrating?" Troy sneered.

"Yes," was Alex's immediate answer.

"So tell me the password."

"Can I sleep?" Alex replied drowsily.

"Sure," Troy purred. "We'll let you rest for about three hours before we come with more questions. Do you think you might be more amendable to answering them then?"

"Yes. I'm tired."

"Then what's the password?"

"MEGAT/2257-8800" Alex rattled off instantly.

"And it works?" Troy insisted, just to be sure.

"Of course it does. You said you'd let me sleep," Alex whined.

The older men both nodded, and turned to see K Unit watching in disappointment. Troy grinned. "Hardly a challenge."

The door slammed shut behind him.

Snake, Fox, Eagle and Wolf all watched as Cub's head snapped up immediately, his eyes clearly focused. He grounded his feet on the floor. He obviously hadn't been as out of it as he had been pretending, confusing K Unit even more.

"Cub, am I going to approve of what you're about to do?" Wolf asked cuttingly, as it was glaringly obvious Cub was preparing to do something.

"Probably not."

The four men stood watch as Cub tightened his hold on the chains, crouched down as far as he could without tearing his shoulders from their sockets, screaming in agony as he did so, then launched himself as high as he could jump, creating a lot of slack in the chain. He flipped his legs up, just like he would have if he were pumping himself on a swing, trying to shift his mass to his upper body.

Snake could immediately see what Cub was trying to do, and had to admit, with the cast iron being as old as it obviously was, and weakened by the welding, it might work, though Cub was going to suffer for it horribly.

As he'd intended, Alex was now almost completely upside down. He swung his weight behind him, and completed a full flip over the chains. As his momentum carried his full weight downward, the weak links snapped, leaving Alex in a free fall.

He tried to hit the floor in a crouch, but didn't quite manage it and landed on his side, crying out and breathing heavily.

There was nothing the unit could do but watch the trembling young man breathe through the pain. Once he had himself under control, Alex tried to lift himself off the floor, but he'd exhausted his last reserves of strength, the pain from his rather stupid stunt was draining him quickly. The flow of blood on his back told him he was also loosing blood at a great rate. His shoulders burned and he knew that both were dislocated. He could hear the manacle clanking against the floor as his muscles shook.

Alex put his fevered forehead to the floor. All for nothing, he thought, and felt the wash of unconsciousness threaten him. He wanted badly to let it take him. He was so tired.


	5. Chapter 5

"Cub? Cub, come on, listen to me! You did good! That stunbelt around your waist? Can you undo it?" Wolf coaxed. "It'll have something strong enough in it to pick the lock on the cell door. I just need you to get it off, and toss it over here. We'll look after the rest, okay?

Alex nodded weakly, crying out as he moved his arm to unsnap the buckle at the back. He fingers were shaking, though, quickly becoming slick with blood and he couldn't seem to gather enough strength to press down hard enough.

"Easy, Cub, take your time," Fox encouraged. "Like Wolf said, you did good. If you can get that belt to us, we can do the rest, and we'll all get outta here."

The buckle finally came loose, and the belt dropped, but K Unit could see the damage underneath. Two large blackened areas on Cub's abdomen identified the entrance and exit routes of the electricity, and repeated shots along the same course had given him third degree burns. The area around them were splotched red.

Alex clamped his teeth onto his bottom lip, knowing that his cries and screams would bring the other guards back here. They were too close for that now. Using the last of what he had, he slid the belt over to them, and passed out.

Between the four of them they had managed to rip the belt apart, and found several potentially useful items. Sooner than they would have thought, the cell was open, and Snake streaked past them to get to Cub, landing on his knees.

The medic in him was taking over, and he wanted to check the boy out, but Wolf shook his head.

"We don't have time, Snake," he said firmly, brooking no argument. "Just make sure he's breathing and let's get out of here."

"But the burns-" Snake protested.

Wolf shook his head. "No worse then the rest of him. Get a move on."

Snake pressed his lips together with disapproval, but the soldier in him knew Wolf was right. They had to get to safety first. He did as ordered and nodded curtly. The boy was breathing, had a pulse.

Snake was surprised when Wolf crouched down and very gently picked the boy up, keeping him securely cradled against his wide chest. "Let's go," he ordered.

Almost afraid the door would be locked, despite not having heard any locking mechanisms, they were nonetheless thrilled that it opened as silently for them as it had for Ben and Troy.

They cruised through the halls silently as ghosts, until they found the tunnel door the SAS team had originally come in. It took only moments for Eagle to make short work of the lock, and then they were running.

Some time later, they were forced to slow for a rest. The alarm would be going off any minute as Ben and Troy came back for their discussion with Cub only to discover they were all gone.

Wolf went to lay down the Cub, but then found himself in a dilemma.

"Uh, Snake? Can I put him on his back with those whips?" he asked.

Snake frowned. "You shouldn't, but then there's the burns on his waist, and the broken rib, and I'm worried about that old injury. So I don't see how you have much choice."

"Hey guys, there's a tree over here. Wolf can sit up against that, and we can lean Cub against his chest. Ya don't mind, do ya Wolf?" Fox called.

Snake shrugged as Wolf looked at him questioningly. "It's still gonna hurt like hell no matter what we do. Infection is our worst enemy at the moment, especially those burns. At least your shirt is cleaner than the ground."

They managed to finally get Wolf and Cub situated in such a way that Snake could properly examine the still unconscious boy.

Eagle frowned. "Should he still be out?"

Snake shot a glare over his shoulder. "Would you prefer he be awake, screaming and bringing every guard within earshot down on us?"

Eagle held up his hands defensively. "Okay, point taken. Fox, let's do a perimeter."

After watching their direction until he couldn't see them anymore, he turned back to Snake, who had a worried frown on his face. "What is it?"

"What _isn't_ it? I can't do this. This kid is seriously messed up, and I think he's got some internal injuries. But it's his heart I'm most worried about right now."

"Why?"

"Because it's in a bad way, and there's not a damn thing I can do about out here. I don't think we should move him any more then we have to, but he's got nothing for protection out here. It's October in Canada. It's going to get damn cold tonight. If we don't move out, he'll die of exposure."

Wolf nodded. "Okay, I can see how that's frustrating. We'll just do what we can for now." Then he felt it. "Shit, I think he's coming around."

The warning barely left his lips when Cub arched away from him, crying out, struggling to get his back away from whatever was touching it. But the arch pulled on his chest wound, broken rib and burns.

Snake reacted quickly enough to clamp his hand over Cub's mouth to muffle the scream. When it had died down, he carefully took his hand away, realizing immediately that the boy was having problems breathing. But pain created panic, and he was still struggling against Wolf. His fingernails and lips were turning blue.

Then he remembered the thiopental. Shit, was the kid having a reaction to it? It had been known to cause cardiac and respiratory depression.

"No no no no no!" Snake cursed. "We don't need this!"

"What's wrong?" Wolf demanded, unused to seeing Snake so panicked.

"He's having a reaction to the drugs. Can you calm him down, please?" Snake demanded as his hand was smacked away with another flailing arm.

"I'm trying, but I don't want to hurt him," Wolf snapped back.

Cub went limp suddenly, and without warning. Both men froze, fearing the worst. Snake recovered first, and checked his vitals.

"He's not breathing. I've got no pulse," he reported.

Wolf immediately moved to lay the boy down, and frowned when he saw Snake hesitating. "You've forgotten how to do CPR?" he asked harshly.

"I'm just not sure we should. The damage we could do-"

"Is irrelevant at this point, don't you think? I'll breathe, and you handle the compressions however you feel is right," Wolf commanded, already leaning down.

Snake hesitated only a moment longer before nodding, and setting to work. "One minute. No response," he called out. He could actually feel the broken rib moving up and down as he pressed. Oh yeah, if there hadn't been internal injuries before, there sure as hell were now. "Two minutes. No response. Come on, Cub, breathe you miserable little brat!"

A gasp of air as Cub once again arched off the ground, turning into a coughing fit. Both men watched in relief and sympathy as tears streamed from Cub's tightly squeezed eyes.

"Holy shit! What happened?" Fox shouted as he and Eagle came into their little hiding spot.

Wolf and Snake were both sitting, watching helplessly as Alex tried to get in two consecutive gulps of air without coughing. Both men ignored their teammates for the moment, focused instead on trying to calm Alex down, while at the same time holding him up without touching any of his injuries.

"Did you find water?" Snake asked them.

Eagle nodded, a little shocked at what they walked in on. "Uh, yeah, and we found a cave. Is he gonna be all right?"

Alex was obviously breathing better, but had started shaking violently, sweating, and he was as white as a ghost. The four men exchanged concerned looks. It didn't take a field medic to tell them Alex was going in to Shock, and out here, with no resources and no treatment, it could be fatal.

Wolf took control. "Eagle, Fox, report."

"There's a bit of a cave hidden off the bank of the lake. Fifteen minute walk from here, two minutes to the lake. It's definitely rock. We recon inside and there doesn't appear to be signs of habitation," Fox answered crisply.

"I think we'd be able to safely get a fire going without drawing too much attention to ourselves," Eagle followed up, casting dubious glances at Cub.

"Snake, is Cub stable enough to travel that far?"

"He really shouldn't, we could risk another failure, and to be honest, if that happens, I don't think we'll get him back this time."

"It's a risk we'll have to take. We can't stay out in the open like this," Wolf decided, this time allowing Snake to carry the boy.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Smithers felt his heart fall as he realized the tracking device for Alex Rider been activated. He really had been fond of the boy, and Alex had deserved so much better. He sighed and picked up the phone to call it up to Blunt.

"Sir, Smithers here. I'm calling to report that Alex Riders tracking device has been activated. Yes, Sir. I'm sorry, Sir but Alex Rider is-" He cut himself off as his eyes widened dramatically. "_Alive_! Alex Rider is alive and on the move!" he crowed happily, forgetting who he was speaking to, and hanging up. "He's alive!"

Alan Blunt looked up as Mrs. Jones entered his office. "You've heard, then?" he asked.

Mrs. Jones nodded soberly. "He's alive, for the moment. But if his Tracking device was activated, then that meant-"

"That he was dead. I am well aware of that. I've got a plane preparing as we speak with qualified paramedics on board," Blunt answered briskly.

"What are we going to tell him?"

"Mrs. Jones the boy was just reported dead not ten minutes ago. I hardly think that need be a concern at the moment. I highly doubt he'll be checking himself out of St. Dominic's this time," Blunt answered dismissively.

But Jones wasn't satisfied. She knew he would ask as soon as he was able, and she wanted to be prepared for it.

"What are we going to tell him?" she repeated calmly, while still making her point.

"What we always do, Mrs. Jones. The truth. We just have to make sure it's our version of it he hears."

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

The cave was small, blessedly warm, and far too quiet. Somehow, telling jokes while Snake was tucked away in the back with a dying fourteen year old boy would just be wrong.

They had been there for just over three hours, and no one had disturbed them, so they felt relatively safe, especially as it was now dark outside. Cub, however, had been steadily getting worse, and not surprisingly, feverish. They'd cleaned his wounds as best they could with water from the lake, but they had nothing to offer as bandages that wouldn't do more harm than good.

"Well, I'm convinced," Eagle announced suddenly.

"About what?" Wolf dared asked.

"Alex. Cub. He's ours. No doubt about it. He's part of our team."

Fox chuckled a little. "You sound like you've just adopted a stray dog. But yeah, I know what you mean. It's hard to see him as a kid now, ya know?"

Snake nodded from where he kept a close eye on Cub. He'd passed out as soon as he'd been lifted, and hadn't woken since. But the signs of shock were lessening now that there was a heat source.

Wolf grunted.

"Com' on Wolf. You can't say that Double O Nothin' hasn't grown into Double O Somethin'. I mean, did you actually watch the way he broke those chains?" Eagle went on.

"Yeah, and nearly got himself killed in the process," Wolf argued.

He didn't know why he was fighting it so hard. He liked Cub, had come to respect him a great deal more, and yeah, he had to admit, felt like Cub was part of the team, therefore, his selected family.

But something was bothering him. He still couldn't get that look on Cub's face as he offered himself up to die in their place out of his mind. He'd seen it a hundred times on battle weary soldiers, usually old men or Black Ops who'd seen too much to ever really fit into the world anymore. There had been acceptance, resignation, but most of all, hope for peace, at long last.

That expression hadn't ever bothered him when it came from an old man, or a close to retirement Black op. But it sure as hell bothered him seeing it on a fourteen year old! Kids shouldn't have serious, shadowed eyes like Alex did.

As a human being, yeah, it tugged on his heartstrings. He wasn't entirely cold. And he would give anything to help make it go away. But as a team leader? Men like that were dangerous to have around. They were unpredictable and a liability.


	6. Chapter 6

They all hushed as Alex stirred in the back, whimpering in his sleep. They'd hoped the sudden hush would allow him to settle, but it didn't work.

Alex woke up to pain. His entire world was nothing but hot, searing pain. His breath caught in his throat as he gasped, desperately trying to pull air into lungs that suddenly felt like they hadn't had any in ages.

"Shh, Cub. Alex. You need to calm down, and real fast, buddy. I need you to breathe slowly, in and out, in and out. Close your eyes and just focus on your breathing," Snake coaxed gently. Alex did as he was told, and was reassured to find the panicked state he had been in easing off.

"Good. Can you talk, Cub?" Snake asked, knowing his throat had to feel like it was lined with mine sharp diamonds. "Look at me please?"

"Barely," Alex whispered back.

Snake nodded, but was a little less sure about the glazed eyes looking obediently back at him. A quick check told him Cub's fever was getting higher.

"Is he still doped up, Snake?" Wolf asked.

"I think he is. Let's find out. Cub, can you tell me what happened to your chest? The bullet wound?" Snake inquired.

"Nope."

"Because you're not allowed to, or because you don't want to?"

"Both."

Snake chuckled and looked over to his friends. "Yep, he's still doped. Why, did you want to ask him something? He won't answer anything he's been told not to say, obviously."

"Then how come he gave up the password?" Fox wondered.

"I was allowed to say that," Alex answered. "It was basically a self destruct code. It'll destroyed every computer that was linked to the one he entered the password into. That's probably why the alarms didn't go off when we left."

Snake noticed the rapid rise and fall of his patients chest, the tight pain lines on his face. "Okay, how about shorter answers guys?"

"Was it MI6's plan to offer up yourself in our place, or yours?" Wolf questioned, knowing he'd never get a straight answer out of the normally reticent boy when he wasn't drugged.

"Sort of both. MI6 sent me out here. Made all the arrangements for me to get here. But never bothered making any for me to get back. The writing was sort of on the wall," Alex explained drowsily. "But it was okay by me."

"Why?" Snake asked sadly.

"I'm tired. Tired of MI6 using me up, then tossing me out until they need me again. Tired of knowing everyone I talk to or glance at could be someone's next target. I'm just very tired." Alex wheezed, and immediately started coughing.

"Okay," Snake ordered firmly. "That's enough. Get some rest, Cub. We have long way home."

"What do you think he meant?" Fox whispered as Snake's oddly gentle voice coaxed Cub back to sleep.

Eagle shook his head. He had no answers. The softly voiced admission had shocked them all. There had been a vulnerability and a deep pain they would never have associated with the boy they'd known in Training or at Point Blanc.

For all that they had poked fun and made Cub's life miserable at training, none of them had really stopped to wonder why he was there. They were soldiers, and they had been told Cub would be joining the team. Aside from a first smart assed attempt at finding out why, asking questions wasn't their job. Following orders was.

Wolf had taken the answer especially hard, since it added in with his thoughts earlier. He had hoped he'd either been mistaken or misinterpreted what he had seen, but Cub had only confirmed it. His team all looked affected by the answer. He could see them struggling, trying to assume Cub had meant he was tired from his injuries and lack of sleep. But they all knew better. This was a soul deep weariness.

Wolf shook himself out of his melancholy. They had bigger problems at the moment, and it was his job to make sure his team- whole team- got home safely.

"He said MI6 hadn't made any plans for his return, and we think the tracking device was fried when they electrocuted him," Wolf started. "Not to mention, he's not dead."

Snake frowned. "He will be if we try to move him anymore."

Wolf sighed. He was a leader, and that was because he had what it took to make the tough calls. "And if we stay here?"

Snake hesitated, but acknowledged the point. "He won't make it through the night."

"We're not going to leave him here, are we Wolf?" Eagle asked uncertainly. He didn't think Wolf would, but the man was a leader for a reason. Sometimes that meant sacrificing the one for the many. And there was no doubt that having Cub with them would slow them down. It was a job Eagle was generally happy to leave to the other man.

Wolf knew that all three of his team members were watching him carefully, waiting for his answer. He knew what he should say, but he couldn't force the words out, and finally shook his head. "He's been through enough. I'm not leaving him here to die alone. But I'll take him. I need the three of you to make for your gramma's cooking, do you understand?"

Snake looked down at the sleeping boy, and moved to brush his bangs off his forehead. He knew why seeing Cub like this was affecting him, and he'd tried to shove it down as he'd watched the boy being tortured. But it wasn't working. He'd been an orphan too, had been alone in the world, and hated that one would cared whether he lived or died. That was why he had joined the Service. To find the family he'd never had growing up. And he'd been lucky enough to find it in K Unit.

Who did Cub have? MI6 certainly didn't seem to care one way or the other. Thinking back on how utterly lonely and miserable he had felt growing up, even surrounded by mates, Snake wondered how much worse it must have been for Cub.

Moving Cub would be tortuous and fatal. Cub would die, not alone, but definitely in a world of pain. If he stayed here, the infection and internal injuries would kill him eventually anyway. Which would be the kinder death?

"Snake?" Wolf demanded, waiting for his answer. He, the whole team, knew why Snake had latched onto Cub. He had found a like soul in the boy. And Wolf had a sneaking suspicion of what was going through the man's mind. He had to admit, if only to himself, that he had considered much the same things.

Snake took a deep breath, and shook his head. "I'm staying with him. At least until the end."

Neither Fox nor Eagle were shocked to hear the answer. They had, in truth, been expecting it. Just as they knew what Wolf's response would be. He and Snake would argue, but in the end, they would each be given a chance to vote. Wolf rarely made decisions that would threaten the lives of his team without their thoughts.

But Wolf managed, once again, to surprise them. "Fox, Eagle, what do you think?"

"Moving him will be extremely painful, and he'll bring more guards on us then we'll be able to avoid," Fox put out intelligently.

"He survived a bullet to the heart. He's gotta have some damn powerful angels looking after him, and I, for one, am content to stay in a nice warm cave and see how they get him out of this one," Eagle replied with a little grin.

Wolf nodded. There was no need to cast his vote, since they were all obviously in favor of staying. "I want both of you to go down to the lake and find some way to bring up as much water as possible. Then we're going to keep a guard. We'll switch up every two hours."

And that was that.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Alex whimpered as he was pulled from the delightful bliss of unconsciousness. Everything hurt. His chest was on fire, and there was a deep settled ache in his lungs. And it was so bloody hot! His eyelids felt like they had lead weights attached to them, while his heart and headache seemed to have developed an orchestra of resounding thuds that rang through with every beat. His back was so far beyond pain that he almost couldn't feel it anymore.

"Cub?" A voice called. He knew that voice. Why couldn't he place it? "Alex?"

Alex struggled to open his eyes, sorry that he did so as soon as the light hit them. They slammed shut again as the orchestra in his brain doubled in volume.

"Open your eyes. I've got them shielded from the light," the voice instructed, and Alex felt the breeze of a hand move over his face. Cautiously, he tried again, blinking away the tears that sprang up. Shit he hurt! Every breath felt like it was dragging a razor up and down his throat.

But at last he could see a face, and place it, vaguely. "Wolf?" Barely any sound came out, sounding more like a raspy whisper.

Wolf nodded. "I know it hurts to talk. But I need to get some water into you."

Alex closed his eyes as he forced his exhausted mind to remember what had happened. Everything was foggy, but the longer he was awake, the more he remembered. Right. He was in a cave with K Unit. SCORPIA probably had guards combing the mountainside for them. Surely Troy must have used the password by now?

He could hear snores that told him the other men were asleep. He didn't blame them. He wished he was too. He felt something touch his lips, rough and fibrous, and immediately jerked away from it. He didn't have the strength to stop the scream that came from him at the sudden movement.

"Easy, Cub. It's just water. You're dehydrated," Wolf explained as he slowly tried again. This time, Alex managed a small sip before breaking out in a coughing fit.

Wolf felt Snake by his side immediately, despite having been given orders to sleep. "You're supposed to be resting," he pointed out.

Snake nodded. "I was. I heard him." He listened for a moment to Cub's cough. "I can also hear pleurisy in his lungs."

They watched, helpless, as the boy concentrated on getting his breathing under control, and his face twisted in pain. Wolf glanced at the makeshift bark cup Eagle had put together. Cub was shaking hard, his muscles too weak to support any movement at all, and overtaxed by the fit. But they needed to get more water in to him.

Thinking fast, he dipped his finger into the water, then lightly wiped it over Cub's chapped lips. Immediately, and without conscious thought, Cub's tongue darted out and took in the droplets.

"Why don't you get some rest," Snake offered. "That's a lengthy process. I'll take over." He knew caring for the injured wasn't Wolf's strong suit, and he didn't have a lot of patience for it. While Snake was impressed on his quick thinking, he knew it would take some time before Cub managed to take in enough water.

Wolf shook his head. "Check his vitals, report, and then go back to sleep. You've got two hours left before dawn and you trade off with me."

Snake nodded, and did as he was ordered. He frowned. "Breathing is shallow and irregular, pulse is weak and fluttering. Fever is higher. Pleurisy. Infection in the burns."

Wolf looked at him, his eyes asking a question he couldn't bring himself to voice.

Snake understood and shook his head. "A few hours, at most. Probably less."

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Fox was taking his turn sitting with Cub while Eagle was on watch. Wolf and Snake were both in a light sleep. He had been on watch an hour ago when he'd heard Snake's assessment. A few hours.

"Now would be a good time for that Guardian Angel of yours to show up," Fox whispered as he carefully spread water on the boys lips. He was disappointed when nothing happened. Cub had stopped responding to this, and anything else, half an hour ago, but he kept trying. It made him feel like he was doing something instead of just sitting there watching the kid die.

Eagle came bursting back into the cave, his face flushed. The two sleeping members of their team were immediately awakened by the noise.

"Someone's coming," Eagle burst out. "I went to take a leak, and saw men in the trees. They're coming straight for us, almost like they know we're here."

Wolf was immediately on his feet. "Snake, stay with Cub. You two with me," he ordered, ducking out.

They cautiously made their way to where Eagle had spotted them. They had no weapons, but were prepared to defend their hideout if necessary.

Six men, all dressed in combat gear, were following one man in a dark gray suit. Gray Suit seemed to have some kind of device in his hand.

"They don't look like SCORPIA guards to me," Fox whispered.

"Who else would be out in the woods looking for us?" Wolf demanded.

Surprisingly, it was Eagle who answered. "It's MI6!"

"How do you figure?" Fox demanded.

"Cub's tracking device must not have been fried! Look, Suit is following a tracking signal of some kind, and they're heading right for us!" Eagle argued.

Wolf thought it through. Eagle was right. The evidence certainly pointed to that theory, and they really didn't look like SCORPIA guards to him either. Well, there was only one way to prove it.

"Go back to the cave, and be prepared to defend it. I'm going to find out what's going on."

Fox shook his head. "If we're wrong- it's too risky."

Wolf growled in irritation. "If we're wrong, and that's SCORPIA, do you really want them to have Cub back?"

Eagle grumbled under his breath, but both his teammates caught his comment. "If we're right, do we really want MI6 to have him back?"

Both men carefully crept back toward the cave. As soon as they were out of sight, Wolf stepped away from his hiding place.

The searching men stopped in surprise at the sudden appearance of a very bedraggled looking man in ragged, bloody, combats in front of them.

"Who are you?" the man asked gruffly.

"Are you Wolf? K Unit?" Suit asked.

Reluctantly, Wolf nodded his agreement.

Suit seemed very pleased, and immediately the tension was gone from the air.

"Agent Browder, MI6. Is the rest of K Unit with you?"

Wolf nodded, relaxing. "We're in a cave not too far from here. Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?"

Browder immediately put away his device. "We're tracking one of our operatives. Is Alex Rider with you as well?"

"Yes." He wasn't prepared to offer up a lot of information at this point.

"Is he alive?" Browder persisted.

"He was when I left."

And that told them everything they needed to know. The men immediately sprang into action as Wolf led them to the cave. They were surprised to meet with some resistance when they came to the entrance. Eagle and Fox each had solid looking branches as weapons, and together were completely preventing entry.

"It's MI6, let them in," Wolf called out. The two men immediately backed off.

Fox smirked as Wolf was pulled into a rough debriefing by Browder and someone began radioing their position.

Eagle noticed. "What?"

"I was just telling Cub that his Guardian Angel had better get to work. Apparently, it heard me."


	7. Chapter 7

Twelve hours later, K Unit, now showered and fed, were wrapping up their debriefing. All the facts had been shared, including Cub's involvement.

K Unit were starting to understand what Cub meant when he said he'd been used by MI6. Alan Blunt's biggest concern seemed to be confirming that Cub had managed to pass along the password. Satisfied, Blunt dismissed them. They ran in to Mrs. Jones outside Blunt's office.

Wolf stopped her. "Do you know how Cub- Alex is?"

"He survived surgery. That's all we know," she answered curtly, and left them.

K Unit exchanged surprised looks, and shared frowns.

"You mean that's all they'll tell us," Fox growled.

"I still can't believe they flew all the way back to London! A local hospital would have at least stabilized him first," Snake cursed. As far as he was concerned, the long flight had cost precious hours.

"I just wish they'd tell us what's going on," Wolf sighed. He hated to admit it, but he was worried about Alex too.

They walked quietly out the door, though once out, Eagle suddenly grinned.

"You know, a boy shouldn't be in the hospital without a visit from his very worried Uncles."

Eagle played the part beautifully, and now they were being led to the boys private room by a pretty nurse who had been relieved to see some family interest. Obviously, MI6 hadn't told them anything, and had warned everyone to keep a lid on what they did know.

They stopped outside room 345, but nurse Swan held them up.

"Are you really his Uncles?" she asked suspiciously, sizing them up. It was very obvious they weren't, but she seemed desperate for someone, anyone, to care.

Wolf looked her straight in the eye. "We're all he's got."

She accepted it for what it was. The simple truth. "Do you know how he got injured?"

Wolf shook his head. "I'm sorry, M'am. That's classified."

"He's in a bad way. He survived surgery, but we're going on 24 hour intervals."

Eagle frowned. "What does that mean?"

"It means that every 24 hours he's alive is a step in the right direction, but that we're not willing to guess beyond each 24 hours," she replied sadly. "He's in a coma, but you can talk to him. It might help."

She let them in, sensing that they didn't need to be pre-prepared for what they were walking into.

K Unit stared at a bed that was mostly wires, tubes and hanging bags. And barely visible underneath all that was a 14 year old boy with a pallor that matched the shade of the white sheets he was lying on.

His head and the small of his back were propped up by hard plastics lifts with padding on them to keep his damaged back from touching anything solid.

"Jesus," Eagle swore, feeling sick to his stomach. The softly whispered expletive sounded loud in the room. The only other sounds were from the monitors and the ventilator that was breathing for Alex.

Wolf frowned. "Didn't Cub have a Guardian?"

Fox blinked, trying to remember. "Yeah, he did. I wonder why she's not here?"

"You think MI6 bothered to tell her?" Snake wondered.

It was one more question they had no answer to, and those were starting to add up. The more there were, the more determined K Unit became on somehow finding answers.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

In Washington, Jack Starbright sat staring at a computer screen, her hand hovering hesitantly over the mouse. On the screen were flight arrangements to return to London waiting to be confirmed or cancelled.

She had received the phone call hours ago telling her that Alex Rider was, once again, in the hospital, and, once again, in critical condition.

Her mother, Alice Starbright, put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "If you go back now, you'll never leave." The words, while harsh, were delivered gently. "This is exactly the reason why you left in the first place."

Jack nodded, tears in her eyes. "I know. But he's hurt, and he's got no one to look after him."

Alice bit her lip. She felt for her daughter's dilemma, but she couldn't stand to see Jack hurt any more than she already had been.

Jack had arrived on her doorstep in tears, and since then had told Alice more about her charge than she'd heard for the past 5 years. Oh, there was a lot she couldn't say, more she couldn't explain, but Alice got the general gist.

The boy was in trouble, and Jack was no longer in a position to help, and staying there, watching it happen, had been killing her.

"As your father is so fond of saying, Jack, it's time to shit or get off the pot. You can't have it both ways. The decision is, of course, yours to make, but you need to stick to whichever one you make."

"I feel like I'm abandoning him."

"Maybe you are, but you were never meant to be a full time caretaker of a teenage boy. Had it been anyone else, your employment would have ended with the Uncles death," Alice pointed out.

With that, she left the room, leaving Jack staring at her computer screen.

Jack hurt, deep down. She had come to her parents, and made the decision that she would not return when Alex got back. She simply couldn't do it anymore. Waiting by the phone for days or weeks on end to get that one phone call, the one that said a young life had been ended far too soon, had been agony for her soul.

Alex himself had changed so much over the last year. She didn't know that boy, anymore, and what's more, she wasn't sure she wanted to. She had made her decision, but now that he was, once again, injured and on Death's door, she felt him pulling her back to him.

But she knew that it would always be this way. He was always hurt on missions, and she knew, in her heart of hearts, that he didn't have it in him to stop. It had become so much a part of who he was, and she forgave him for that. He didn't fit anywhere, anymore, and these missions, loathe them though he did, gave him some sort of identity.

And it would never stop. There would always be a world to save, always be some maniac thinking to kill thousands of people, always be one more mission that only he could do. Alex hated MI6, and she truly believed he did, but he cared too much about what was happening, about who might get hurt. He knew what evils there were in the world now, and it wasn't in him to merely stand by and let them happen.

She sobbed out her decision. It would _never_ stop.

She clicked on the "cancel" button, and opened Word. She couldn't leave things where they had been. She had to explain as best she could.

"_Dear Alex._

_I'm so sorry I'm not there for you, but I can't be. Not anymore. It's breaking my heart watching MI6 do this to you, and I can't take it. I'm sorry I'm not strong enough._

_I know you're lost, and I wish I could help you find your way, but I think the only one who could have done that was your Uncle. He would be so proud of you, if he could see you now, if he could see all that you've accomplished._

_I've made my decision. I can't come back. I hope you understand. It's not because I don't love you, Alex. It's because I love you too much to see you go through this time and again._

_You're in a coma they don't even know you'll come out of, and it's all their fault! I don't know the specifics, but I do know that. I'm going insane with worry, but if I let myself be dragged back for this, then I'll let it happen again._

_I'm staying with my parents in Washington, so please know I'm safe._

_Get well soon and come back to the world. It needs you._

_Love,_

_Jack._"


	8. Chapter 8

Two weeks later.

Wolf sighed as he threw himself into the arm chair in Cub's hospital room. He was on watch tonight. It had galled K Unit when they'd discovered that despite Troy Dellaware getting away, there had been no guard assigned to Cub's room, so they had taken it upon themselves.

Cub- Alex, Wolf corrected himself mentally- was doing much better. He would eventually recover. His wounds were healing, and they'd removed the padded lifts. Some of the wires and hanging bags had disappeared too.

Unfortunately, he was still comatose, and still required the ventilator to breathe for him. Nurse Swan, Tracy, had assured them that it was mostly a precaution, but it was still unnerving to see.

He pulled out the book he had brought. He knew that K Unit had started talking to Alex, trying to let him know someone was there. He was about to start reading aloud, but stopped when Tracy came in, carrying a letter.

Alex had received several get well cards from his school mates, though reading them, it had been easy to tell that it had been the teachers who had passed them around, and then mailed them. Not one contained a personal message. Apparently, MI6 had told Alex's school that he was suffering from a bout of pneumonia.

"Another card, I suspect," Tracy said. She did a quick check of all the tubes, bags and wires, then left, smiling at Wolf.

Wolf opened the envelope, only to find two letters stuffed into it. One was addressed to Alex, which he set aside. Strangely enough, the other was addressed simply, Wolf. Curious, he opened it.

"_Dear Mr. Wolf_

_I'm sorry, I don't have any other name for you. Alex has spoken of you a great deal, and I hope I'm doing the right thing._

_If you're reading this, it's because you're there, with him now, which means a lot to me._

_Oh, my name is Jack Starbright. I used to be Alex's housekeeper, and since his Uncle's death, his Guardian._

_I say used to be. Alex doesn't know I'm not coming back, but I can't. I can't keep watching this happen to him and say nothing. I can't keep wanting to help him, only to realize that there's nothing I can do._

_But someone has to know what's happened, what they've done to him. They'll never tell you, and sadly, neither will Alex. He's learned not to trust people, you see. He's learned that they all want something from him, and that's the only reason to show any interest in him._"

Wolf grunted. It wasn't hard to tell who 'They' were. MI6. He read the letter as it explained what had happened. How Alex had gotten involved with MI6, how he been blackmailed, and had done it to protect her. She gave as many details as she knew about each of his missions, including the shape he came back in, both physically and emotionally. How little time they gave him to recover before they found a way to rope him back in. How much his school was suffering. She explained as best she could, about how this last mission, with SCORPIA had affected him. Then about the shooting. She described in vivid detail his nightmares, finding him retching in the middle of the night, having to coax him to eat, and his lack of sleep.

"_Alex may be very good at what he does, but he's just a boy! He was never given a choice, and even if they did give it to him now, what else does he have? He's seen too much to ever be fourteen again._

_He doesn't fit in this world he almost kills himself saving anymore. He's hurting inside and there's no one who can help him. Not even me. I've tried, but I don't understand his world any more. I don't understand him._

_I know it's a lot to ask from someone I don't know, but could you try and find someone who can? He's so alone, so lost, and too brave to admit it. He's perfectly capable of looking after himself, but what he won't understand is that he shouldn't have to._

_I know I'm breaking a whole lot of laws right now, since I've signed the Official Secrets Act, but someone had to know._

_Help him, if you can._

_Jack Starbright._"

Wolf was stunned, and very, very angry.

"Whoa! You look like you've eaten a bucket full of slugs!" Eagle chirped as he entered the room, obviously startling Wolf out of some very dark thoughts. He noticed the paper in his friends hand, but didn't mention it.

Without a word, Wolf thrust the letter into Eagles face, never taking his eyes off of Alex as Eagle read it, his own face contorting into anger.

"Shit Dan, we have to do something about this!" Eagle cried, waving the paper. "This isn't right!"

"I know that, Derek!" Wolf shouted back. Then he blinked. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

Eagle blushed. "I was bored at home, so I figured I'd come visit, see if there was any change."

Wolf shook his head. "None. They're worried that he might never come out of it. Tracy doesn't know exactly what happened, but she's been a Nurse long enough to recognize how some of the injuries were caused. She's afraid he's retreated into himself because of the Trauma."

Eagle looked uncertain. "Do you think it might be true? I do know what happened, and I think it's a perfectly plausible theory. Especially, you know, how he was."

Wolf, first and foremost a team leader, looked at his teammate sharply. "Have you been seeing your shrink?"

"Of course! Mother hen. I always knew you loved me!"

"Certainly not for your looks!" Fox piped up as he joined them.

"Let me guess," Wolf smirked. "Just in the neighborhood?"

Fox shrugged. "Something like that. Any change?"

Eagle nudged Wolf. "Show him the letter."

"Might as well. By the time you finish reading it, Quinn should be coming around," Wolf sighed as he handed Fox the letter.

Fox was very quiet when he finished, his face grim. It was so uncharacteristic of him that the other two members of his team were quietly concerned. There was no flippant comment, no anger, almost no emotion at all. The last time they had seen their friend like this, he had been about to wipe out an entire village.

"Ben?" Eagle questioned.

"MI6 obviously doesn't know about this letter, or we'd never have seen it. We'll let Quinn read it, then it's got to be destroyed. And Dan, I think you should hang on to that one on beside you for Alex. They're going to twist it, and he has a right to know the truth." Fox commanded quietly.

Wolf nodded, immediately folding the other letter and putting it in his pocket. Fox didn't often take command of a situation, usually happy to let Wolf take the role of leader, but something in that letter had set him off. If K Unit had learned one thing in their years together, it was that Fox was most dangerous when he was quiet.

"We have to do something," Eagle put out again. "I mean, he's us, right? K Unit? We look after our own."

Both pairs of eyes turned to Wolf. They knew what they were implying, and the final decision would be his. Either Cub was a member of their team, or he wasn't. If he wasn't, then their debt to him demanded they stick by him until he was awake, at least, and able to protect himself. He had, after all, saved their lives. But after that, he would be on his own.

If Wolf did accept him as a member of their team, then they would go through hell and back to do whatever they could for him. It was a serious question, and not one to be taken lightly. Being told someone was on your team, and actually accepting them were two very different things. Accepting him in meant that they valued him as an equal, and would happily lay down their own lives for his. It meant Cub's life would be forever entwined with theirs.

Wolf scrubbed his hand over his face. It was a heavy decision. Because of Cub's age, they were taking on some serious responsibility. He saw Snake slip in quietly through the door, as if sensing something important was going on. He didn't need to ask him, though. Snake had made his decision in the cave. Fox silently handed Snake the letter, and Snake's imperceptible nod was directed at Wolf. So it was on him. He was the one who tended to be over protective of his team. He looked after them, worried for them, and still had to be able to send them into bad situations. Bringing Cub into that. Could he do it?

Cub was alone in this world. Even his Guardian had turned her back on him, something for which Wolf would never forgive her. If they removed themselves from the situation, MI6 would take control of Cub, and make very sure he was trapped.

Finally, he sighed. "We don't leave anyone behind."

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Alan Blunt frowned at the man in front of him. SAS K Unit leader Daniel Martin, aka Wolf, was standing almost at attention, waiting for him to acknowledge him. He didn't like unexpected visitors, and he didn't like the fact that Mrs. Jones had let him in.

But Wolf seemed content to stand as he was for however long it took Blunt to acknowledge him. Of course he was. He was SAS. Waiting on superiors was hardly new, and Blunt realized that Wolf obviously wasn't going to just give up.

"What is it, Mr. Martin?" he finally asked.

"Alex Rider, Sir."

Blunt raised an eyebrow. "What of him?"

"What's going to happen to him?"

"I don't see how that's any concern of yours," Blunt replied, obviously dismissing the man and returning to his paperwork.

Wolf frowned at the dismissal, but stayed his ground. "He's K Unit, Sir, and that entitles me to know whatever happens on my team."

"Alex Rider is a by name only attachment, Mr. Martin. You needn't concern yourself with him."

Wolf almost smirked. Alan Blunt was getting dangerously close to having to show some emotion on his face. His voice was tinged with irritation.

"He saved our lives, Sir. K Unit are the members called in when he needs backup. We were informed of his appendicitis. I would say that makes him part of our Unit, Sir."

Mrs. Jones entered just then, saving Mr. Blunt from having to respond. "Alex woke up, Mr. Blunt."

"Are we able to debrief him?"

Mrs. Jones eyes flickered to Wolf before returning to Blunt. "No. He's heavily medicated, but his throat has sustained serious damage, and his vocal cords are heavily bruised. It'll be some time before he can speak."

"Is there anyone with him now?"

Mrs. Jones shook her head, surprising Wolf. "As soon as Dr. Welsh declared him conscious, K Unit was cleared from the room."

Mr. Blunt nodded. "Have a guard posted outside his room. No one is to have access to Alex with the exception of the medical staff and ourselves. I want to know the moment he can so much as whimper. And have Dr. Welsh reduce his pan medications. We need that debriefing."

Jones nodded and disappeared out the door. Blunt returned to his paperwork, seeming to have forgotten all about Wolf, until he spoke again.

"Mr. Martin, I understand that K Unit feels a certain responsibility toward Alex, but let me assure you, MI6 only has his best interest at heart. As for K Unit, as soon as you are cleared for duty by your psychologists, you will be returning to the field. You are dismissed."

Wolf left, almost shaking in rage.

When Wolf returned to the sparse apartment he shared with Snake, he wasn't surprised to find the rest of the unit already there.

"Dan! You wouldn't believe what just happened!" Fox yelped out as soon as Wolf appeared in the tiny kitchen.

Wolf growled. "Cub woke up and they kicked you out."

"Cub woke- hey, how'd you know?" Fox asked, realizing he had been about to repeat the information.

"I was standing in Blunt's office when Jones reported. They're posting a guard to keep everyone out until Alex can talk." He glanced at Snake. "They've also ordered that his pain medications be reduced."

Snake paled. "They can't force his recovery like that. If they try to force a debriefing out of him, they'll only damage his cords more."

"Did you manage to get any information out of them?" Eagle asked, knowing that was the reason Wolf had originally gone.

"No. I've been assured that MI6 has his best interest at heart, and that as soon as our psychs say we're ready, we're being reposted out to the field," Wolf answered.

They were silent for a moment before Eagle suddenly grinned, then, unexpectedly, burst into sobbing tears, putting his head down on Fox's shoulder.

"Oh god, Doc, it was so awful watching it. I'll never be the same. He's just a kid, and they- they- I can't talk about it. It's too painful," he howled.

Wolf smirked as the rest of his tough, macho, highly trained SAS unit burst into tears as well.

Well then, it seemed they had a plan.


	9. Chapter 9

Alex shifted painfully, every small movement a reminder of what he had managed to survive- again. Somehow, it didn't seem fair that he kept living, while others seemed to always die in his place.

His room was dark, and lonely. Where was Jack? Had she really been that angry with him? Or was MI6 keeping her out? It had been two days since he had woken, and he knew without having to be told that his pain medications were being strictly curtailed. This morning, they had been cut off completely.

He lived in a perpetual haze of pain that blended night and day together. There was nothing else for him. He knew what MI6 wanted, the answers they were hoping to get, and equally, knew his pain meds would start again if he could give them.

Unfortunately, he felt like his throat was lined with razor wire and every breath that wheezed up was one more reason to try and stop breathing all together, and he didn't especially feel up to talking.

At that moment, Mrs. Jones opened his door, and he knew the choice had been taken from him. The fake smile of concern she offered him left him feeling nauseous.

"How are you feeling today, Alex?" she asked syrup sweetly.

He blinked at her, but refused to do anything else. She would get her answers today. MI6 wasn't willing to wait any longer, but he'd be damned if he made it easy for them.

"I know you're still quite sore, Alex, but we really do need to know a few things. Can you please try?" she persisted.

Alex closed his eyes. He was going to have to talk, whether he liked it or not. But he needed some information of his own first. He swallowed painfully, wincing, then whispered, "Jack?" which came out more like, j'ck?

"Very good. Was the mission successful, were you able to get Dellaware the password?" She asked, completely ignoring him.

Ah, two could play that game. "Jack?" he asked again, glaring at her. Come on, Jones, he thought, you know how this game works. I get one, you get one. Especially since he knew bloody well that K Unit had already been debriefed.

It seemed she did know how the game was played, because she sighed and sat down. "Miss Starbright has returned to Washington to be with her parents. I'm afraid she'll be staying with them for some time. Were you able to give Dellaware the password?"

Alex frowned. Had Jack stayed in Washington by choice, or had MI6 forced her to stay there to get an edge on him?

"Please, Alex," Mrs. Jones reminded him impatiently.

"Yes." His voice sounded as bad as his throat felt, and the word was barely distinguishable. And oh god did it hurt to talk! But she seemed satisfied.

"Do you know which computer Dellaware entered it into?"

"No."

"Why not?" Alex wanted to cry. He had hoped she would at least be content to stick with one word answers, but apparently not. It was one more obvious hint that MI6 didn't give a crap about him.

"We… left."

"How did you and K Unit escape?" Mrs. Jones persisted.

"Don't… know…. Out."

"Out? You mean you were unconscious?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

Alex almost didn't answer, because he knew what she was doing. She knew the answers to all these questions, but wanted to work his voice so that he could properly answer the ones she didn't know. But it was best to get this over and done with now. Maybe then they'd leave him alone. Unfortunately, he wasn't stopping to think about the damage being done.

"Tortured."

"Yes, that was unfortunate. I have to admit I was surprised at your approach on this mission. K Unit describes you as almost suicidal."

"Had to… make him… believe… password… was… real…"

A monitor blared in alarm as Alex gasped for breath. He couldn't take anymore, he really couldn't. He wanted it all to end. A deep, hacking cough allowed him his escape as he passed out from the pain.

Tracy Swan lunged into the room at the sound of the alarm, knowing Dr. Welsh wouldn't be far behind. It had become extremely obvious to her that Alex Rider was a VIP patient. She was surprised to see a woman sitting calmly next to the patient, as though waiting for him to wake up.

"I have to ask you to leave, now, Miss," she instructed sternly as she prepared an oxygen mask for the boy, who was obviously in respiratory distress. Another monitor blared as Alex's heart began to palpitate.

Dr. Welsh entered then, and, to Tracy's astonishment, took a moment to assure the woman that he would inform her quickly of Alex's condition before once again requesting she leave. Which she finally did.

The two of them worked together to stabilize their patient, but Tracy's mind was still focused on what she had witnessed. She was worried, and suddenly knew what she had to do.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Wolf looked up in surprise when he saw the nurse from the hospital standing on his doorstep. Tracy looked very upset, and extremely uncomfortable standing out where she could be seen. He quickly rushed her in.

Snake, who had been sitting down for supper, looked no less surprised to see her, but his face quickly fell at seeing her disposition. "What's wrong?" he demanded.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to come. Something strange is going on with Alex Rider. Yesterday a black woman was visiting him, and next thing I know, he's in distress," she answered. "Dr. Welsh didn't act at all like himself."

"How is Alex now?" Wolf asked, concerned.

"He's stable again, but she made him talk. Dr. Welsh did some tests, and it seems that his vocal cords have swollen drastically. If he hadn't gone into distress when he did, he very well could have permanently damaged them."

Snake swore under his breath while Wolf handed the woman a coffee. She obviously needed it.

"I'm breaking a lot of rules, being here, but you four seem to be the only people who care about him. No one else has been to see him, only the black woman, who won't even give me her name. I don't know what's going on, and frankly, I don't really care. What I do know is that a patient of mine is being threatened," Tracy went on, sipping her coffee.

"I'm sorry, we can't tell you-" Wolf started, but Tracy cut him off with a wave of her hand.

"I know, and like I said, I don't really care. What I want to know is what can be done about it."

And there it was. The question that K Unit had been asking themselves all along. And, sadly, had not been able to come up with an answer. They were as trapped as Alex seemed to be. Anything they tried to do would be blocked by MI6 before they could complete it, and they would all lose their jobs.

She read it on their faces, and sighed. "I have a friend in Child Services who might be able to help. I looked up his file, and it says his parents are dead, and he is legally in the custody of Jack Starbright. Where is his Guardian now?"

"She's no longer able to care for Alex," Wolf growled, not meaning to, but showing his personal feelings about it. "Without her, his Guardianship passes over to the Royal and General Bank."

Tracy smartly didn't ask the obvious question. "She needs to fill out and file the appropriate paper work, then."

Snake sat up. "What paperwork?"

"Well, legally, without her guardianship, Alex will be going to an orphanage, or emancipated. Since it's very obvious he can't care for himself, that leaves the orphanage. And if he's placed in the care of an orphanage-"

"He's available to be legally adopted," Snake finished in awe, following her. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of it himself? He knew the system, had been through it. "Thank you, Tracy. If you'll leave the name of your friend in Child Services, I promise we'll do everything we can to help."

Wolf, who hadn't really been able to follow, was surprised when Snake walked her to the door, calling back for him to call the team.

"Wait, just what are you saying?" Eagle asked an hour later. They had arrived and been briefed on the situation.

Snake sighed. "Once Miss Starbright renounces any legal claim on Cub, he's supposed to go off to an orphanage. Now, what do you want to bet that MI6 is going to find a way to adopt him?"

"I still don't see how this helps. If anything, it puts Cub exactly where they want him," Fox pointed out.

But Wolf, who had been listening quietly, understood where Snake was leading them, and he'd been thinking about it carefully. Could they really? There were other fathers in SAS. It wouldn't be totally unheard of. And it would do Cub good to be able to talk about his missions with someone who might understand at least a little of what he went through. Nor would Cub's fear of having whoever he lived with targeted really matter. As far as protection went, you couldn't get much better than SAS.

But MI6 Agent Rider aside, what about the effect it would have on the boy himself? He remembered every word of that letter, and he felt Starbright might just be right. The only identity Cub really had was with MI6. Which meant they would have no choice but allow him to continue to go on missions.

But maybe, just maybe, they would be able to do it right. Force him to take the time to recover before he launched himself into something else. Get him someone to see, even if it was one of their own psychs, who had the highest security clearance. Help him keep up with school, and stop long enough to take care of himself.

They were buying time by throwing off their psychologists, but that couldn't last forever. Sooner or later, K Unit would have to return to duty. What would happen then? And was it fair to Cub to make him worry about them coming back?

He almost smiled with the thought. Well, fair was fair after all, since it would no different then them waiting and worrying the same, since Cub's missions seemed to be nearly as, if not more, dangerous then their own.

And for all the drawbacks to doing what Snake was suggesting, there was one serious positive to consider. At least they cared about him, would do their best to give him what he needed. MI6 would use him up, destroy him, and move on. Hell, the kid was fourteen, and already suicidal.

"I'll do it," he spoke up.

"Do what?" Eagle asked.

"I'll adopt him. It's the only way to keep him away from MI6. At least this way, they have a legal parent to deal with," Wolf answered.

Fox and Eagle were silent. Snake raised an eyebrow. He had assumed that once he got his friends to come around, that it would be him adopting Cub. Wolf volunteering surprised him.

"No offence, Dan, but do you really understand what you're taking on? Alex is going to be special needs while he recovers, and it's going to take a while. As extraordinary as he is, he's still a child," Snake pointed out.

"I know that. But I won't be in it alone. We'll have you guys. Look, MI6 doesn't give a damn about his mental state. And I know Alex has a lot of issues that need to be dealt with. I'm not saying it's going to be easy, but it's better than the alternative," Wolf defended.

"We'll have to move quickly, get the paperwork in before MI6 knows what we're up to," Fox started planning.

"We won't have a chance to talk to Cub about it first. He's going to feel like he's being manipulated, again," Snake pressed. "He most likely won't be exactly grateful."

Eagle snorted. "Have you ever met a teenager that was?"

And that was that. They had work to do.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Two weeks after waking up, Alex was bored. He hated hospitals. He felt better then he had a long time. The removal of his pain medication had actually done him a favor, he thought. He was clear headed, and able to push himself a little more.

He was careful not to over do it. He wasn't stupid. When his muscles starting shaking, he was smart enough to take some rest. He was bitterly disappointed with how little it took to completely exhaust him, but that too, was getting better. A week ago he could barely sit up without collapsing. Now he could at least walk to the toilet on his own.

Pain had become a part of his life. He adapted to it as he always had. Now it only surprised him when things _stopped_ hurting. But he was determined to get out of here as soon as possible, even if it meant going on another mission.

So he completed his PT, slept when he needed it, picked at his food, drank plenty of water, suffered through endless tests and check ups. and generally appeared to be the ideal patient. As soon as night came, though, he carefully crept out of bed, and tortuously completed as many of his Karate Kata as he could.

MI6 had left him alone since Mrs. Jones had come to debrief him. Probably because they knew he couldn't speak yet. His throat had eased a little, but apparently his vocal cords were going to take some time to heal. The guard outside his door was a constant, but never entered.

To test what noise level he could get away with, Alex had thrown his food tray across the room. The guard had rushed in, gun drawn, and he'd been able to see that it was an MI6 agent, dressed in a dark suit. Unable to explain why he'd done it, Alex had merely shrugged at the guard, and made shooing motions.

Other than that, the only other souls he saw were Doctors and nurses, though he liked one in particular. Her name was Tracy Swan, and she never asked questions, merely spoke to him, reminding him that there was indeed intelligent life out there.

Tonight he was just completing his fourth kata- the most he'd done yet- when a commotion happened outside his door. Uncaring, Alex thought to try and stretch a fifth one. He was concentrating so hard that he never heard Tracy and four men enter his room.

"What the hell?" Snake demanded upon seeing Alex up moving through the kata.

Surprised by the sudden intrusion, Alex lost his balance, and would have collapsed if it hadn't been for Eagle catching him, then helping him over to the bed. He closed his eyes and breathed through the pain the unexpected movement had caused, but then opened them.

Tracy Swan was standing with K Unit, who were all watching him with concern. He opened his mouth to ask what they were doing here, but no sound came out.

"We know you can't talk, Cub, but when you can, you are sure as hell going to explain why you're out of bed and doing kata," Snake informed him.

Tracy, the nurse, looked more worried than angry. "Alex, I know you hate it here, but that wasn't very smart. You need to take it easy, let your muscles heal. And one of these days you're going to tell me how you managed to turn off the alarms on your monitors."

Alex shrugged. The nice thing about not being able to talk was not having to defend your actions, he decided. But he was intensely curious to know why K Unit was there. He hadn't seen them since the cave. He looked at Tracy with curiosity, and moved his hand out toward K Unit in a gesture that clearly said, "what's going on?".

Tracy smiled as she reconnected the electrodes that attached him to the monitors. "A lot has happened very recently, Alex. We don't have a lot of time, I'm afraid."

Wolf nodded at the reminder. "Tracy, can you give us a moment?" He appreciated her help in dealing with the guard, but she couldn't be here for the more classified information.

Alex was surprised when the nurse smiled and nodded. He watched her leave, then turned a wary eye on K Unit. They had been through a lot together, but he wasn't about to forget what they had put him through before.

Once she was gone, Wolf made himself comfortable on the chair next to the bed. "I know you have a lot of questions that you're dying to ask, and I'll try to anticipate them as best I can, but you have to promise not to get upset. If those alarms go off, we're toast."

Alex hesitated, but nodded his agreement, clearly very suspicious of them.

"First off, I want to thank you for what you did for us, and for what you were prepared to do for us. We appreciate it, but please don't think anything we're about to say has anything to do with pity, or with some sense of debt," Wolf started.

"We were here, Alex," Snake could see the use of his real name confused Cub, but he moved on, "while you were comatose. MI6 kicked us out as soon as you woke up. Do you remember?"

Alex shook his head.

"Well, we were. We stuck by you the same as we would have for any other member of our team. And you are, Cub, a member of K Unit, more than just in name. You impressed the hell out of us in Canada, and we feel you've earned the right to the membership," Snake continued, stressing the word _earned_.

All four men frowned as Alex's shoulders suddenly slumped. The boy looked defeated, and miserable. It didn't take them long to figure out what had happened.

"Whoa! Don't do that, kid! Do_ not_ put us in the same realm as those idiots you keep having to work for!" Fox snarled, understanding that Alex had assumed that since he was getting pretty words, that meant they wanted something from him.

Startled, Alex eyed them cautiously.

Eagle nodded. "Right then, easing you into this isn't working, so let's try something else. First, I think you need to read something."

Wolf handed him a well folded letter, but Alex could tell it had never been opened. He instantly recognized Jack's hand writing. It took only a moment for him to scan the contents.

All four men had been uneasy, expecting some big emotional display. What they got was a small smile, one of deep understanding that shouldn't have been able to come from a fourteen year old.

Looking up, he saw the surprise and hesitation on their faces. He shrugged and carefully mouthed, "It's better this way."

"Well, do you understand what it means?" Wolf asked.

Alex nodded. It meant he was off to the orphanage Blunt had been threatening him with for so long, and it meant that MI6 would probably have someone like Mrs. Jones adopt him. He closed his eyes against the knowledge that Jack had just signed, sealed and hand delivered him to MI6 for 24/7 access.

"Yeah, we thought you might. Unfortunately, we've been around for a couple of weeks now, and we have to say, we don't much like the way you've been treated. No grace periods, no care after missions, and no thought as to your schoolwork, and therefore, no thought as to any other future you might have," Fox ticked off on his fingers.

Alex shrugged wearily. It was the way it was. There was no changing it. No changing him. He wasn't ready to put it entirely on MI6's shoulder. He had instigated a few of those missions himself. He hated being used, hated the job, but he also knew, after a few weeks of being alone, that he wasn't the type who could just sit back and let it happen, either.

"Look, what we're trying to explain is that we've found a way around it all. You don't have to belong totally to MI6. You're old enough to make most of your own decisions, Alex, but someone needs to be there to help regulate things. You need someone there who can help you after you missions," Eagle tried to ease in.

Alex sighed and tapped at his wrist as though he had a watch on. K Unit took the hint.

"Wolf wants to adopt you," Fox blurted out.

Alex sat, totally stunned. If he had been able to speak, he would have been rendered completely speechless.

"You'd still have the freedom to make your own decisions about MI6, and your missions. We're not doing it to smother you, Alex, we're trying to make it so that you've got at least a little freedom away from it. We can stay in the house you're in. Quinn, that's Snake, lives with me though. It's a long story, but he'd be moving in too." Wolf grinned sheepishly. "And you might as well get used to the rest of K Unit too. We're pretty tight."

Alex closed his eyes as a wave of dizziness passed over him. It seemed like too much to take in. Everything in his life had changed so suddenly. Could he do it? Could he really live with Wolf and Snake? A permanent over protective brother and a paranoid field medic?

"If you don't want to, that's okay too. We're just trying to give you some options. Do you need time to think about it?" Snake asked.

Did he? Could it really be so much worse if he ended up with Mrs. Jones or Crawley? Wolf was right. At least he would have some freedom away from MI6. He liked K Unit well enough. He didn't trust them, but then, he didn't trust too many people.

Alex shook his head. He didn't need time to think about it. No matter how he looked at it, it was definitely the lesser of the two evils.

"Have you made your decision, then?" Wolf asked gently. He knew how very awkward and embarrassing this had to be for the kid. And there was a lot of mistrust in those far too old, serious brown eyes.

Alex sighed, then nodded. He looked directly at Wolf, and nodded again, slowly mouthing, "Thank you".


	10. Chapter 10

Alan Blunt was absolutely furious, and for the first time in his life, actually showing it.

"How could they do this without us knowing about it?" he demanded of Mrs. Jones, who was standing very still, the peppermint in her mouth forgotten.

"We're looking into it. Unfortunately, the answer doesn't really matter. It's been done. It's legal, and it's filed," she answered.

"Is there some way we can move around it?"

"I'm afraid not, Alan. If it was still in the works, then yes, we could have prevented it, but Daniel Martin had everything done before we even got a whisper of it. Like or not, he is now Alex Rider's adopted father."

"How can a SAS member adopt a child? Did Mr. Martin lie about his occupation?"

"No. And he has filed a legal will defining that should anything happen to him, custody of Alex will pass to Quinn Macfee. I suspect that each of K Unit has done similar wills, passing Alex between them until there either none of them left, or he is 18, which the court has accepted as responsible protective measures," she explained coldly.

"I want Mr. Martin brought in!"

Wolf sighed as he entered the Royal and General Bank. He knew what this was about, and was prepared to pay the piper.

Blunt's office was barren, as always, and equally, Mrs. Jones was standing in a corner of it.

For once, Blunt didn't play any games and got right to it.

"We've come across some information, Mr. Martin, that you are now a proud father?"

Wolf smirked. "Yeah, I'd introduce you to my son, but I think you've already met."

"This is no laughing matter, Mr. Martin," Jones dropped coldly. "This is very serious. Alex is not a normal teenager, and cannot be treated as such."

"He's fifteen years old! He needs to go to school, pass his exams, have a life."

"And what are your views on his current occupation?" Blunt asked.

Wolf hesitated. "I think Alex is capable of making his own decisions, and I won't interfere- much. But there are some terms that are going to be laid out."

"I hardly think you're in a position to make demands," Mrs. Jones clipped.

"I think I'm in a excellent position, now that I'm his father and all. I'm not some Guardian you can toy with. I have the security clearance to know what's happening with his missions, what's happening with him. If Dellaware tries to make another move, he couldn't be better protected. Come to think of it, K Unit is pretty much prepared to handle any backlash from any of his enemies," Wolf pointed out.

Blunt relaxed a little. They weren't losing their hold on Rider entirely. "And what are these terms?"

"He's an active agent. Whether you want to put that into paperwork or not doesn't matter. He deserves to be paid for what he's doing. Retroactively."

"Agreed."

"He's a kid, and he needs to finish school. MI6 will provide him with a tutor to help him catch up on any coursework he's missed. Also, he needs downtime after he's been injured, and proper care. He can't speak right now because of you, and the Dr. Welsh is starting to suspect some complications with his vocal cords," Wolf listed, surprised he was getting as far as he was.

"Agreed."

"Kid or no, he still puts his neck on the line every mission. He deserves the same treatment and respect as any other agent you have working here. He also deserves to have the same protection whenever he goes out."

"Agreed. Is there anything else?" Blunt asked.

"If he says no, it stays at that."

Blunt nodded. "We have some terms as well, Mr. Martin. I want your assurance that you won't influence his decisions either way. There will be no interference on missions from you or K Unit unless you are assigned to it. If, as it has happened in the past, you are on assignment together, he is to get no special treatment."

"Agreed," Wolf answered.

It was the best they could do. Both sides getting what they wanted. Only time would tell if the agreements would be kept.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

A week later, Alex entered his house. He walked in with his head down, afraid to see the changes that Wolf must have made. Only two steps in the door and already it felt empty without Jack.

He missed her. More than he was willing to admit. But he also knew she had done what was right by her, and he couldn't fault her for that. It hurt, to have been abandoned by one more person in his life. His parents, his uncle, Sabina, his mates at school, and now Jack. It seemed like a never ending list and it only served to make him weary.

Shrugging off his melancholy, Alex forced himself to look on the bright side. He had finally, finally been discharged from the hospital, though he still hurt and still couldn't speak. He was coming home, to his house, rather than being sent to an orphanage. And if MI6 actually gave him time to heal properly, then he'd be able to catch up on his coursework.

He thought his lack of vocal abilities pretty much kept him benched until it healed, so MI6 would be leaving him alone for a while, at least.

He had been so deep in thought, that he startled at seeing Snake, Fox, and Eagle sitting at his kitchen table. It was then that he looked up and took in the rest of the room. Nothing had overly changed. With the exception of a few plates, mugs and a bread box, it looked the same as it had the night he left.

Curious, he went to look in the living room. It too, had remained the same. He explored each room, surprised to find Ian's office was now open, and ready for another to use it again. Upstairs, he hesitated at his uncles room. They hadn't changed it. There was a duffel bag sitting on the floor in the corners, with a few boxes, but nothing had been touched. Jacks room had been largely untouched, except that everything personal had been taken. The closet was empty, and all her pictures, books and posters were gone.

Saddened by her absence, he sat on the bed, running his fingers over the quilt. Would he ever see her again? He felt like his life was spiralling out of his control, and the worst part about it, he couldn't find it in him to care much about what happened to him. This was one more change, one more adjustment he'd have to make.

He was exhausted. The trip from the hospital and the flood of emotions when he entered the house has crashing down on him. He curled up on top of the quilt and closed his eyes.

Downstairs, the rest of K Unit had decided to give Alex some space, though each kept sending glances toward the stairs.

"How do you think he's handling all this?" Eagle asked.

"I don't know. He was never the most open kid to start with, and now with his voice- we'll just have to wait and see, I guess," Wolf answered.

They'd talked a great deal together about the situation they now found themselves in. And their was no question about it, they were completely united. In this, as with everything else, they would watch each others backs. This had not been lightly undertaken.

Even Wolf had found it discomforting to suddenly be the 25 year old father of a fifteen year old. But he'd made an agreement with himself. Cub didn't need a father, he needed more of a big brother and that was something Wolf felt he could provide.

The move hadn't been a pain. He and Snake had shared an apartment for years, but it had mostly only been walls to house their things and beds to sleep on. That part of the adjustment had been easy. Somehow, both men suspected it would be the only part that was.

"Has Dr. Welsh given you any idea on how long it'll take him to get his voice back?" Fox queried.

"He thinks that Alex might have dislocated a vocal cord, but they won't be able to tell until all of the swelling goes down. Providing he doesn't try to use his voice, that should take about another week."

Snake snorted. "He was a mouthy little brat at training, and then again at Point Blanc. I think we should indulge in his silence as best we can."

"Have you considered getting a housekeeper? You're not the cleanest person around," Fox pointed out.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Ben, but yes, MI6 has hired someone, cleared by them, to come in twice a week. We've got everything set up. Now it's up to him."

Alex woke to something that smelled fantastically not like hospital food. It took him a moment to get his bearings, and he remembered he had fallen asleep in Jack's old room. He sighed. It was time to face the music. He just wished he had his voice back. It was really the only defence he had. He felt too open, to exposed without it.

He followed the smells to the kitchen, and found K Unit spread out, assembling dinner. He looked at his watch, surprised he had slept most of the day.

"Don't worry, Cub, you'll get your timing back on in a few days," Snake assured, having looked up and seen the confusion on the boys face.

Alex nodded, and made a gesture toward the food, lifting his eyebrows curiously.

"Chicken, carrots, potatoes, and salad. You need to eat a healthy meal right out of the hospital, but don't get used to it. Tomorrow night is takeaway," Wolf grinned.

K Unit chuckled. The table was set, and Alex realized there was nothing for him to do. He felt a chill, and shivered. Life was definitely going to be different.

Unfortunately, Snake had seen it. "Are you okay? Do you need any pain meds?"

Alex shook his head. He'd been prescribed pain medication by the hospital, but figured since he had gone most of his recovery without them, he wasn't about to start now.

It was as they sat at down for dinner that Wolf decided to lay the ground rules.

"I might as well do this while you can't argue, so here are a few rules," he started.

Alex smirked, and then slowly, deliberately raised his middle finger. Vocalization was, after all, only ten percent of human communication.

"I'm going to ignore that. MI6 has arranged for a tutor for you. Damon will be starting after you return to school to help you catch up. They've also provided a housekeeper that will come twice a week and look after laundry, and basic cleaning," Wolf continued.

Alex nodded. So far so good. He pushed his food around his plate a little more. It hadn't escaped K Unit's notice that he had only eaten a bite or so.

"Alex, is it too rough on your throat? I can make some soup, if that would help," Eagle offered.

It was then that Alex realized what Wolf had meant by getting used to K Unit. While Wolf had been the one to adopt him on paper, it was, in fact, the whole unit who had decided to adopt him. He frowned at the thought. He'd never liked being the centre of attention, and he'd gone from being very independent to suddenly having four guardians. It was unsettling.

He could see the others were waiting on his answer, and he shook his head. To prove it, he popped some chicken in his mouth, gesturing to Wolf to go on with the new house rules.

He did, explaining everything he had arranged with MI6, what would happen to Alex if anything ever happened to him, and most importantly, his own agreement to the terms Blunt had laid out. Some basic rules, mostly for security purposes. Leave a note when he went out. Never leave in the middle of the night without waking either himself or Snake first. Call either of the older men first should he want to bring a mate over. All little things that Alex could not only live with, but completely understand, given both his and their careers.

He sighed with relief when he understood they wouldn't try to smother him, or cut off his independence. As nice as it occasionally was to have someone there who cared about him, he would wilt under any kind of strict regimenting of his life.

"Alex, it's going to take some time to adjust to everything. We understand that, and I think you need to understand that means for us, too. We're not used to having a kid around, but to be honest, we tend to think of you as more a teammate than a charge. And you'll be treated as such. When you're injured, we coddle, and don't think for a moment it's because of your age. Trust me," Snake laughed. "You should have seen it when Wolf- I mean Daniel, got shot in the leg."

Alex nodded his acceptance. But then he realized he didn't really know their real names. How to ask? The others had launched in to funny stories about their previous injuries, and how the team had rallied to care for each other, and generally drive each other nuts.

He snapped his fingers, and immediately had all four men staring at him. He put his hand gingerly on his chest, and mouthed, "Alex, Cub". Then he put his hand on Wolf's shoulder, who was sitting next to him, and mouthed, "Wolf, Daniel." Then he pointed at Fox and shrugged his shoulders.

Eagle chuckled. "You know, for a kid with no voice, you're pretty good at communicating. He wants to know our real names," he explained to the others.

Fox laughed. "I'm Benjamin Daniels. You can call me Ben. Snake there, is Quinn MacFee, Eagle is Derek Costain, and you know Wolfman is Daniel Martin."

The meal continued as such, Alex mostly listening to the stories the other men told, and to their unique sense of humor. He also couldn't seem to get out of the odd reminder that in order to be digested, food actually had to go in his mouth.

He ate as much as he could, but he really wasn't that hungry. He had stood and gathered his plate to take to the kitchen when the phone rang.

The shock of the flashback that took hold of Alex made him drop his plate to the floor, while he put his palms up to his eyes, trying to push the memory out through his eyeballs, at the same time, without being aware, was trying to back into the wall behind him. He slid down, his knees up to his chest, shaking.

K Unit were on their feet in seconds, but Snake held them back. "No! Crowding him could only make it worse. Wolf, answer that damn phone!"

Wolf obeyed immediately, slow to make the connection between the phone ringing and Alex's condition that Snake had made in seconds.

Meanwhile, Snake was slowly approaching Alex, his hands held out in front of him as if to show he was unarmed.

"Alex," he coaxed gently. "You're here, at your house in Chelsea. You're safe. I'm going to put my hand on your shoulder to ground you, okay?"

Snake carefully did so, squeezing tightly. He knew it would hurt- the boys shoulders were still tender from being dislocated and the muscles deeply bruised- but he needed to bring Alex back from wherever he was.

His voice was gentle as he crouched in front of the boy, making sure to explain every move he made. He continued to murmur that Alex was here, at home, safe. Finally, after what seemed like hours, Cub's breathing became less panicked, and his hands fell away from his eyes, though he hung his head in shame, not willing to look at the others.

Alex cursed himself. It was the first time a memory had come on him like that. Normally, it only happened when he was asleep, and he hadn't been prepared for it to hit with the force it did. But he could feel the concern of the others, and took a deep breath.

He looked at Snake, who was directly in front of him, and nodded that he was okay. For a moment, he was eternally grateful he couldn't speak. Once again, it meant he didn't have to explain himself.

Snake was watching him with worry. "It's okay, Alex, it's nothing to be ashamed of. It happens to the best of us, I promise."

Alex nodded again, and seemed to have gotten himself under control. He winced as he stood. His back was on fire again from being so tightly pressed against the wall, and his muscles were trembling with weakness, threatening to pull him down. But he resolutely ignored all this, and looked to Wolf, making the "phone" sign by putting his fist up to his cheek, with his thumb by his ear and his pinky by his mouth.

Wolf shifted uncomfortably. He didn't really understand what had just happened, and the phone call was not a good one. He didn't know whether he should tell Alex or not.

Alex obviously didn't need his answer. He nodded, and turned upstairs. He knew who it had been. Who it always was. MI6, and they wanted to use him again. There would be a car here to pick him up in about twenty minutes, and he wanted to get changed before that, since he had fallen asleep in his clothes.

K Unit watched him go upstairs, before releasing a collective breath.

"What the hell just happened?" Wolf demanded. He was glaring at Snake, but it was Eagle who answered.

"That was a flashback, a very vivid one, if I'm right. One sign among many others that the kid has PTSD."

"But he's just a kid!" Fox blurted.

"Look, I watched my grandfather go through it. The signs are all there, if you know what you're looking for. It doesn't matter how old he is, he's seen a lot. Jack's letter gave us a lot of facts, but not enough. I don't know Cub very well, but from what I can tell, for every gruesome detail he gave her, there were four he didn't," Eagle responded seriously.

Snake nodded. "This last mission must have sent him over the edge of his control."

"So he's unstable?" Wolf asked. He'd heard about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, but had never had any real training or experience with it.

"No. Just the opposite. I can almost guarantee that we'll never see that again. He'll have learned to recognize the signs, and he'll learn the triggers. And it's his control over it that's going to eventually make him worse," Eagle answered. Come to think of it, he thought his grandfather would have liked Cub, despite his age.

"Who was it on the phone?" Fox thought to ask.

Wolf growled. "MI6. They're sending a car for him."

"Now?"

"Now."

"They wouldn't dare send him on a mission when he's like this, would they?" Eagle asked hesitantly, referring to Cub's lack of voice rather than the flashback.

"I don't know. But I'm going with him," Wolf answered with determination.

If Alan Blunt was surprised to see Wolf, he didn't show it. Instead, he directed Alex to sit down. Mrs. Jones was, as always, hovering around the chair, sucking on a peppermint. Alex thought he was starting to understand why he didn't like the smell or taste of mint anymore.

"Alex, I'm afraid I have some rather disturbing news."

Alex shrugged. So what is new.

"You know we weren't able to capture Troy Dellaware?" Mrs. Jones joined in. "We have, of course, been looking, but it was safe to assume he was no longer in Canada. We've tried using our contacts in SCORPIA, but they don't seem to have any knowledge of his location either."

Alex nodded, just to give some response. He wasn't overly concerned. Troy Dellaware was by far not the most dangerous SCORPIA member he'd ever encountered, or indeed, even among criminals he was rather low on the pole. He wanted to know what this all had to do with him.

"What has this got to do with Alex?" Wolf asked, as though reading his thoughts. Alex sent him a grateful look.

Blunt pressed a button and the screen behind his desk activated. "We received this message this morning, and we have confirmed that it's contents are, in fact, true."

Suddenly, Alex saw Jack's face on the screen. She was tied to an antique looking chair, staring defiantly at someone in front of her. The picture moved, and focused on Troy Dellaware.

"Hello good friends of England. I greet you from the Washington State. Miss Starbright here has been telling me many wonderful things to visit while I'm here, but I'm afraid business must come first."

Wolf had watched as Alex went rigid in his chair, his hands gripping the arms so tightly his knuckles were white.

"I want Alex Rider delivered to me. I have been informed he still lives, so please don't try to pull any tricks. Miss Starbright would have to meet a very unfortunate end, should you try. I will be waiting where it all began for two days. If he has not come, alone and unarmed, then I will be forced to kill Miss Starbright, and find another more persuasive method to get his attention. Cheerio, and do have a good day."

The screen went blank. Mrs. Jones turned to Alex.

"We've assumed that he means your beginning with SCORPIA, and we have agents standing by in Venice. That background on the tape has confirmed this."

Alex had understood immediately where Troy meant. He had also understood that this was a personal message to him. Troy would know that MI6 would assume Venice, and would also know that Alex would figure it out. If MI6 sent in a team of agents, no matter how careful they were, they would never get Jack back alive.

Troy might not have been the most criminally inclined member of SCORPIA, but suddenly Alex understood his value to them. Troy was an excellent profiler. He had been beaten by Alex once, and it would not happen again. There would be no games, no grand schemes, no chances. Alex would be shot, point blank, the moment he arrived.

He had to find a way to get there, and do it without MI6 on his trail. A single gadget would be Jack's death sentence. It was now equally obvious that Troy employed a leak in MI6. His every move would be followed so long as it had to do with the organization.

"We were hoping you would be willing to act as a decoy to bring him out in the open. You'd be well protected, I assure you," Blunt offered.

Wolf growled. "He can't speak, unless you've forgotten. He would be completely defenceless."

Alex sighed. He didn't like doing it, but he had to trick Wolf too. He gestured at Blunt's computer, and motioned typing. He was frustrated when, for an so called observant man, Blunt frowned at him. Pleadingly, he turned to Wolf and repeated his actions.

"He wants to use your computer to type," Wolf translated, watching as Alex pointed at the screen which had just been seen. "And he wants you to put it up where we can all read it."

Mrs. Jones immediately brought over her own laptop and placed it on Alex's knees. Immediately, he began to type.

"I HAVE TO GO. I CAN'T LET HIM HURT JACK. BUT HE'S EXPECTING US TO BE THERE. HE'S PROBABLY ALREADY GOT THE AREA SET UP AND SCANNED. IF YOUR TEAM GOES IN NOW, THEY'LL BE DISCOVERED AND JACK WILL BE KILLED."

"We can't allow you to go in alone, Alex," Mrs. Jones answered crisply.

"I KNOW."

"Then what are you suggesting?"

"SEND A DIFFERENT TEAM IN, AS CIVILIANS. GIVE THEM A DAY AND A HALF TO GET SETTLED INTO A ROUTINE THAT WON'T THREATEN HIM. GONDOLA DRIVERS, MARKETERS, THERE ARE A HUNDRED CAFS AROUND CA'VEDOVA."

Blunt nodded, secretly impressed. It made sense. "Then fly you in on the second day."

Alex nodded. He wouldn't be there, of course. He would be gone tonight. But they couldn't know that, and this bought him the time he needed. He would deal with the consequences of his deceit later.

"Are you sure you're up to this, Alex?" Wolf asked. He could see something in the set of the boys shoulders. Since Alex hadn't been able to actually talk to them, all of K Unit had began to become very familiar with his body language, and it was telling Wolf something wasn't right.

Alex nodded. "YES. I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. IT'S MY FAULT HE HAS HER."

Wolf turned to Blunt. "Permission for K Unit to be one of the supporting units, Sir."

Alex typed furiously. "NO. K UNIT IS TOO CLOSE TO ME RIGHT NOW. THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO IS HAND TROY MORE AMMO. BESIDES, IF WE FAIL, THEN K UNIT IS THE NEXT TARGET, AND MAYBE WE CAN HAVE MORE CONTROL OVER IT IF WE CAN PREDICT IT. YOU GUYS HAVE TO STAY SAFE, BECAUSE LIKE IT OR NOT, YOU'RE PLAN B."

It was cold, and ruthless, but Alex needed K Unit safe. He knew he was right. Troy would target them next. He also knew that Wolf was very suspect of him now, and K Unit disappearing would ruin his plan as well as alert MI6 that not all was as it should be.

"Very well, then. Permission denied. Go home, rest up. We'll be in contact with you in 24 hours for an official briefing before you leave," Blunt dismissed.

Alex gave Mrs. Jones back the laptop and stood, turning to leave. He could see Wolf wanted to argue some more, but motioned quickly for him to come, his eyes clearly reminding Wolf of his promise to let Alex make his own decisions.

Mrs. Jones watched them leave. "That was a very mature response," she noted.

Mr. Blunt nodded. "Indeed it was, which is why I don't believe a word of it. He knows more then he's telling. Proceed with the plan, but tomorrow morning I want the Rider house under surveillance."


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: **Okay, here it is, the last chapter. Phew. That was a bit of an undertaking, but I hope it makes it easier for you to read. And the good part about fixing this is that I can tell you, yes, there IS a **sequel**. It's called **Finding Peace: DD2**. Hope you enjoy the read.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Wolf followed Alex into the kitchen, hard on his heels. The rest of K Unit were once again gathered there.

"Well?" Fox asked.

"Troy Dellaware has Jack Starbright hostage in Venice. He wants Alex delivered to him in two days, or he'll kill her," Wolf reported, noting that Alex was moving around the kitchen, looking for something.

"Don't tell me MI6 is going to do it?"

"Alex has already agreed," Wolf growled to Eagle. "He thinks it's his fault that she's being threatened."

They started when Alex pounded his first on the counter, obviously frustrated at not finding whatever it was he was looking for. They watched as he moved swiftly into Ian's office.

"Um, is he all right?" Snake asked.

"Something's up. I don't know what it is," Wolf answered.

"So, we're kitting up too?" Eagle assumed, surprised when Wolf shook his head.

"I asked. Alex talked them out of letting us go."

"How'd he do that?" Snake asked, wondering if this wasn't forcing Alex to use his voice.

"He typed."

A loud crash from the office had the men rushing to see what had happened. Alex was standing there, triumphantly hold a box in his hand. A bookcase had been pulled away from the way and was now lying where it had fallen. Without looking at them, Alex left the office, placed the box on the kitchen table and bolted upstairs.

Wolf looked at the red and black box on the counter. It had a digital lock that would require a code to open, and was about the size of a book. He looked at the others.

"He is definitely up to something."

They heard Alex on the stairs, and were surprised to see the youth had changed yet again. He was now completely dressed in black. His jeans and jumper were dark, but his pale face stood out horribly in contrast. They were puzzled by the leather straps in his hand. They looked like buckles and sheaths.

"Alex, what are you doing?" Eagle finally blurted.

Alex ignored him and quickly entered the code for the box. Inside were six shuriken, or throwing knives. Alex pulled up his jean leg and immediately strapped two on either side of his calf, near his ankles.

For Fox, it was clear what the boys intentions were. "You're going after him yourself."

Alex hesitated, but then nodded and proceeded to strap the other two on his other leg. He felt frustrated that he couldn't tell them. But at least, seeing this, they would know he hadn't gone unarmed.

"How do you expect to get to Venice?" Wolf demanded.

Alex shrugged helplessly. Snake grabbed a pad and pen and slammed them down in front of the boy.

"You're not going anywhere until you tell us what's going on," he stated.

Alex sighed, but immediately picked up the pen. "THERE'S NO TIME."

"Make time, unless you want us to follow you," Eagle threatened.

"HE'S NOT IN VENICE. HE SAID BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN. THAT'S CORNWALL, MY FIRST MISSION. HE SAID TWO DAYS, BUT HE MEANT ONE. I HAVE TO GO TONIGHT OR JACK WILL BE KILLED."

Alex watched them read, pleading with his eyes to let him go. He was running out of time. It was going to take him several hours to go by train, and he had only until morning to get in under the cover of night.

Come on guys, Alex thought. I can do this, but I have to go. Alex rolled up his sleeve to the elbow, and quickly strapped the sheathed shuriken to his forearm, and then again repeated the process.

"You sure you know how to use those?" Fox asked.

"FIRST DAN."

"No kidding? We didn't know that."

"Ben! We have other pressing matters!" Snake hissed. "Alex, why can't we come with you?"

"BECAUSE BY TOMORROW MORNING MI6 WILL BE WATCHING THE HOUSE TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING IS NORMAL. I KNOW BLUNT DIDN'T BUY A WORD OF WHAT I SAID. THAT MEANS YOU AND WOLF HAVE TO STAY HERE. EAGLE, FOX, YOU NEED TO GO HOME, AND THEN POP UP FOR A VISIT TOMORROW AFTERNOON."

"We don't live here. Fox and I could go with you," Eagle pointed out.

"YOU HAD TO BE FORCIBLY REMOVED FROM MY ROOM WHEN I WAS IN THE HOSPITAL. MI6 ISN'T GOING TO BUY YOUR SUDDEN LACK OF INTEREST. I HAVE TO GO."

Alex put down the pen and turned to leave, but was stopped by Snake. "Wait!"

Not bothering to hide his irritation, Alex was surprised when Snake left, and returned with what looked like a small makeup case. Opening it, he was even more shocked to see Cammo.

"If you're going to do this, be smart about it. You're as white as a sheet and it only looks worse with those black clothes. You'll need this."

Alex hesitated, but then grinned and grabbed the pen. "RELAX GUYS. THIS IS WHAT I DO!"

K Unit watched him zip out the door, but somehow, his parting words hadn't left them the slightest bit comforted.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

The old tin mine seemed no different than it had almost a year ago. To Alex, it felt like ages since he'd been here. His uncles death had changed so much of his life. Sometimes he wondered what would have happened if he had simply let Yassen Gregorovich kill him.

He worked his way quickly down the mine shaft. It had been his only hope of sneaking in without alerting Troy. Alex was sure his time here had been reported by Yassen to SCORPIA, but he was also sure Yassen hadn't known exactly how he got into the plant.

He copied the same route he had taken before. Once he was inside the plant, he stopped and applied the cammo to his face. It was dark, and the more invisible he could be, the better he was.

He had an idea where in the plant Troy was. He had instantly recognized the antique chair that Jack had been tied to. All he had to do was make his way into the main house. Except this time he didn't have a Smithers made handy yoyo.

By the time he was on the grounds of the main house, Alex was starting to wonder if perhaps he shouldn't have made a stop to see the jolly man. It would certainly have been useful to have a few gadgets now.

Then his luck turned, and he realized that no one had been up keeping the house, and the carefully controlled ivy had grown quickly, as it was wont to do. As silently as he could, he made his way to the room he had stayed in. From there, he was certain he could locate the office where Sayle had kept the man-o-war.

But his plan had been already foiled. There, right beside him, was his old room. And the window was wide open. So, Troy had known what he would do. Going into that room would be a trap. What did that leave?

Alex wracked him memory, then remembered the chimney in Sayle's office. The house was huge, and unkept. There were a hundred reasons why Alex shouldn't do what he was planning to do. Unfortunately, there was also one good one.

He knew what he had come here for, knew what his mission was. He couldn't let Troy walk away again. His only chance was to get to Jack first, otherwise Troy will shoot to kill the moment he came face to face with Alex. Troy liked his games, though, and if Alex were to be already standing there, then his natural ego would take over, with the intention of allowing Jack to suffer, and that would give Alex the precious second that he needed.

Making up his mind, he carefully climbed into the chimney. He was somewhat surprised that it went straight down, and in less than half an hour, he dropped into the large fire place. He was covered in soot and dirt, and his muscles were beginning to shake again. He wasn't ready for this kind of action yet, but he had no choice.

Standing carefully, he looked around the room. There was Jack, slumped over in the chair, her back to him. But there was no one else. Troy was still watching the old room, being almost positive Alex would return the same way he had before. So far, the only mistake he'd made was the window.

Cautiously, he entered the room, keeping very much to the shadows. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay there forever, but the closer he got to Jack, the better off he was. Just before he reached her front side, he reached to his ankle and pulled a Shuriken, tucking it up the sleeve of his jumper.

He moved silently, and at last could he see his Guardian. She seemed more asleep than unconscious, which Alex prayed meant Troy hadn't hurt her overly. He took a deep breath, knowing that the moment he stepped from the shadows, he would be spotted. It would take Troy only moments to get there.

Doing so, he quickly made his way to Jack, who woke up at his touch. Her eyes widened.

"Alex! You shouldn't have come! He knew you'd figure it out."

Alex shrugged and continued working on the knots that held her. There were many, and he was wasting time doing it one by one, but he couldn't afford to show the only advantage he had.

"I'm sorry I did what I did. Are you that angry that you won't talk to me?" Jack sounded very hurt, and Alex wished he could reassure her, but he couldn't, so he shook his head and continued to work.

"Alex, please, you're scaring me. Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because he can't, my dear," Troy called from the doorway, just as Alex managed the last knot. Jack was free, but they had been caught. "You see, the boy can't speak. What a funny thing torture can do to your body, isn't that so, Alex?"

Troy raised the gun, pointing at Jack. Immediately, Alex moved in front of her to protect her and pushed her father away from him.

"Ah yes, gallant to the very end. Shall she watch you die?"

Alex snarled silently at the man. In his mind, he was glad. Troy was, at least, predictable.

Unfortunately, not entirely predictable. Troy changed his aim and fired. Alex fell the impact in his right shoulder drove him to his knees, giving out a noiseless cry. He immediately looked behind him to make sure the bullet hadn't gone straight through and into Jack, but she seemed physically fine.

Turning back to Troy, who was advancing on him slowly, he again snarled. Troy chuckled.

"Poor little Cub, he's lost his growl."

"Please stop," Jack begged from behind them, tears streaming down her face. In answer, changed him aim again, taking the three steps forward that Alex needed him to take. Without pause or thought Alex whipped the shuriken.

The pain it caused was horrible, but Alex barely noticed. He couldn't stop staring at what he had done. His aim had been true, and the end of the throwing dart was know protruding through Troy's throat.

His breathing was harsh and panicked, the adrenaline still surging through him. He wasn't used to things being over this fast. He was shivering, and he knew enough about himself to know he was going into shock.

SCORPIA had finally done it. They had turned him into a killer.

The deaths before had been caused by him, but never with true intent to kill. He had come here with that intent tonight. He had known that when the two met, only one would walk away. He thought he had been prepared to face the consequences of it.

And he had been wrong.

It was his last thought before he passed out.

**AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW AR FW**

Wolf shook his head as he found himself once again sitting in the semi comfortable hospital chair next to Alex Rider. The bullet wound to his shoulder had been repaired surgically, and now it was a case of playing the waiting game until he woke up.

"Damnit, Cub, you do seem to go looking for trouble," he muttered.

"I think it goes looking for him, and that he's just a particularly strong magnet for it," Jack spoke as she entered the room. "Wolf?"

Wolf stood immediately. "Jack Starbright. It's nice to finally meet you in person." It wasn't. She had abandoned Cub. Left him to the mercies of the organization she had claimed to hate. An unforgivable sin, as far as he was concerned.

Jack seemed to sense this, and nodded. "I had my reasons for doing what I did, you know. Someday, maybe even now, you'll understand. I love him enough to let him go. He would never have found peace with himself if he had to fight me every step of the way."

"MI6 has debriefed you?" Wolf asked, veering off the subject. He had to admit, even only to himself, that he was starting to understand a little. Two hospital trips in as many months were starting to make him wonder what he had really gotten himself in for. But, unlike this woman, he would not abandon his charge.

"As much as they could. It all happened so fast. Alex was there, untying me, then he was shot, then he killed that man. He passed out, I found a phone, and here we are." She was silent for a moment. "I've never seen him kill, before. I saw what he was like, after he had done it. I know he'd do it again in a heartbeat, but he hated himself for what he had become. A killer. A murderer."

Wolf growled. "Alex is not a killer. He did what it took to complete the mission."

"He's fifteen!" Jack cried out, angry and hurt. This was not the life she had imagined when she'd promised to take care of him. No one should have to watch a child suffer so.

"He made his choice!" Wolf shouted back. "At least respect him enough to honor that."

Wolf calmed down. They didn't want to wake Alex, especially with a shouting match between his present and past Guardians. Jack, too, seemed to back off.

"Can he really not talk?" she asked after a moment.

Wolf shook his head. "He's severely bruised his vocal cords. The doctors suspect that he's dislocated one or two, but they have to wait for the swelling to go down. Once it can be confirmed or denied, it should only be a matter of weeks before he's his usual mouthy self."

"I should go."

"He'll want to see you, to make sure you're okay," Wolf pointed out.

"Can you tell me what his reaction to my letter was?" Jack asked.

"He said it was for the best. You're not the only one who's suffered this past year, Jack. You said it yourself, what he's done, he's done to protect you, no matter the cost to himself. Part of protecting you was letting you go, too. You can't ask for a greater sacrifice than that."

Jack sighed as she made her decision. "That's just it, Wolf. He's fifteen. He shouldn't have had to make one at all. Tell him I'm safe, and that I'll write him."

She left without another word.

Sensing he was being watched, Wolf turned to find Alex staring at him. Deep understanding were in those brown eyes, and acceptance of what had just happened. Jack would not be back in his life again, and she had left without ever really saying good bye.


End file.
